Taking responsibility: Be the change you want to see

Speakers at the conference advise people to stop relying on government

KARACHI: If you are serious about improving the environment, it is better to take responsibility instead of relying on the government.

Highlighting these sentiments, the day-long First International Conference on Environment, Health, Safety and Security took place at Marriott hotel on Thursday. "The government can't do everything for you [people]," said former senator and president of Brooks Pharma, Abdul Haseeb. He urged the participants to bring change from within. "Everything will be fine, if we understand our responsibilities."

On disasters and what they cost the government, Pakistan Red Crescent Society's provincial secretary Kanwar Waseem shared that 20 major floods cost Rs39 billion to Pakistan. The country spends Rs800 million each year due to the absence of proper disaster planning, he said, adding that a large amount of money is spent on disasters that can be spent on development projects instead.



"There is not a single university in Pakistan that offers a Master's programme on disaster management," Waseem pointed out. "Disaster management is an unresolved issue of development."

Engro Corporation's Jahangir Paracha spoke about ensuring security not only within the organisation but for communities living around it. "All industries have some environmental threats," he admitted.

Air Commodore Shabbir A Khan, the executive director of Rashid Memorial Welfare Organisation, shared how a peaceful environment has been created for the people of Rashidabad.

"A child without education is like a bird without wings," said Muhammad Abid Noor, the chief operating officer at Green Crescent Trust. Pakistan has a lot of resources but, he added, it is useless without human capacity. He also gave a briefing on various water and education projects carried out by his organisation in different areas.

Brigadier (retd) Rashid Ali Malik, president and CEO Security 2000, spoke about the various invasions in the sub-continent for centuries and their impact. He also briefed about the recent Chinese investment and economic development in the future.

Mohammad Hanif Ajari, strategic development director at Getz Pharma, said that his company was getting international standards in an international market. Habib Bank Limited's (HBL) vigilance and fire safety department's deputy general manager Hussain Sabz Ali spoke about the fire safety trainings given to the employees of HBL and urged other banks to adopt such safety measures.

Masood Zia of Nestle Pakistan Limited, HSE-Vision principal consultant Bilal M Syed, Environmental Care and Engineering Services' managing director Wajahatullah Khan, Anis A Shah of Abbott Laboratories, Squadron leader Athar Sajid Khan, Coastal Packers CEO Ateequr Rehman, Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo, Swiss consul-general Emil Wyss and others also spoke.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2015.