PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
The World Wide Fund-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) conducted an awareness session on improving industrial environmental performance at the River Ravi Basin through a water stewardship approach.
The approach is under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded project titled ‘Revitalising the Ecosystem of Ravi River’ in collaboration with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI).
The aim of the session was to bring together stakeholders from different backgrounds to discuss issues related to technical, financial and regulatory barriers for implementing sustainable and resource efficient technologies.
A case study on River Ravi was also shared in the session which highlighted issues around the basin such as the deterioration of ground and surface water. There were also a series of presentations by technical experts on issued such as water pollutants from industries and how they can reduce them.
The stakeholders agreed that the recent challenges are opportunities for the future. The stakeholders discussed and recommended solutions such as improving the allocations between surface and ground water, treating industrial and municipal effluent and improving environmental flows.
There was also a discussion to raise awareness among stakeholders, while participants emphasised the fact that government and academic institutions as well as the private sector need to work together on improving the efficiency of industrial processes.
River Ravi is one of the eastern rivers in the Indus Basin. It is a snow-fed river and stretches a total 720km; approximately 400km are in Pakistan. In 1951, the flow rate was 6 MAF however now it has reduced to 1.47 MAF.
“The fund is committed to protecting the country’s fresh water resources and improving water access, efficiency and allocation for the people and the environment,” said WWF-Pakistan Climate, Energy and Water Director Masood Arshad.
LCCI Executive Committee Member Tehmina Saeed Chaudhry highlighted that business giants have the financial and technical capacity to adopt cleaner technologies and comply with environmental standards.
However, small and medium sized enterprises need help in this regard. “Despite their willingness to become environmentally friendly, they face many technical and financial barriers,” she stated.
Vaqar Zakaria, an environmental expert, spoke about the need to a multifaceted long term plan for revitalising the River Ravi ecosystem.
WWF-Pakistan and its associated partners from various research and academic institutes shared their views on how to manage water and help the industry in Pakistan flourish sustainably. Representatives from different industries and industrial associations endorsed WWF-Pakistan’s efforts in this matter and showed willingness to participate in sustainable industrial growth initiatives.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ