pnc-web – Page 4 – Pakistan National Committee (PNC) of IUCN Members

This year’s theme for the World Environment Day is ’Time for Nature’- a call to action to stop the loss of plant and animal species and need reversing the degradation of natural resources,. Observing the World Environment Day aims at reflecting the importance of working together at all levels and build a future that is in complete harmony with the nature. The day is also meant to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment and focus on environmental issues and their probable solutions. Currently, as many as one million plant and animal species are at the risk of extinction. Most of this is because of human activities. The decisions that people make now will determine the kind of world our future generations will inherit. It is a high time that humanity must opt for staying alive by caring for our common home, the Earth and rejuvenating the Planet through sowing the seeds for a better future. This World Environment Day, we must aim at learning to share the knowledge with our communities and pledge towards creating a better environment for the future generations.

Sindh’s lawmakers emphasize missing role of local councils

They suggest provincial governments to support local councils to develop ‘Pandemic Response Plan’

KARACHI -(May 16, 2020): The lawmakers of Sindh Assembly on Saturday said that the role of local government’s representatives at grassroots level is crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an online meeting on ‘institutional role in context of CoVID-19 Pandemic’ arranged by the HANDS, the legislators of Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and civil society activists exchanged their opinions over the prevailing situation across the province.

Discussing the water sanitation and hygiene condition in context to the pandemic, participants said that the role of all relevant departments was very pivotal to contain the spread of the Pendamic, reducing the overall burden over the health facilities.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Shamim Mumtaz of PPP, Nusrat Sahar Abbassi of PMLF, Ms Rabia Khatoon of MQM, Ms Sidra Imran of PTI, Ms Rabia Azfar of PTI, Ms Sadia Javed of PPP, Qasim Soomro of PPP, Ms Tanzila Qambrani of PPP and representatives from civil society, including HANDS CEO Dr Shakikh Tanveer Ahmed, Mr. Ghulam Mustafa Zaor, Mr. Nadeem Wagan, Mr. Maqbool Ahmed Rahu and Ms Sadaf Gul.

They specifically discussed the role of local government department and the Local Government Act-2013, which has clearly defined the compulsory function of local councils that Corporations, Municipal Committees or Town Committees shall adopt such measures to prevent infectious diseases and for restraining infections within the the Local Area as per the rules and bylaws provided therein.

The parliamentarians suggested that all provincial governments should support to local councils to develop their Pandemic Response Plans. Local elected representatives and available resources of local councils could be Mobilized to ensure the compliance of SOPs developed by the Provincial Governments for the Preventive Measures against the CoVID-19.

The lawmakers from treasury and opposition asked the national international CSOs and donors to invest in sustainable interventions related to the CoVID-19 preventive measures, particularly at the grassroots level.