The Observance of Environment Day each year is a reminder of the obligation of the governments, the people and the communities indeed of every individual to preserve and protect the environment from degradation. It is a reminder to take measures to reverse the present trends and saving our own future and that of our planet. It should also serve to remind that issues in environmental degradation transcend beyond national boundaries and concern the whole mankind.
It may seem paradoxical that in a world where one in every seven people go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die from hunger every day wastage of food is one of the major factors contributing to global environmental degradation. Yet it is a fact. The theme of the Day this year, “Think. Eat. Save” therefore is the most appropriate call to sensitize people to this great paradox that while many go hungry on the one hand nearly 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually on the other.
In Pakistan the issue of food wastage is even of greater relevance. Due to floods and other natural disasters parts of Pakistan have been susceptible to food deficiency. While we need to introduce new technologies for improving food production we also need to play an active role in saving the country and the world from food scarcity by showing our commitment for not wasting food and conserving the earth resources.
I hope that the observance of this Day today across the country would help strengthen our national resolve towards preservation and protection of the environment and to saving the food resources from wastage.