STAFF REPORT
ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi has urged for water and energy conservation by bringing about an attitudinal shift from more consumption to more preservation to minimize the economic difficulties of Pakistan.
Addressing a seminar organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here in Islamabad on Thursday, he said that by closing shops and businesses early in the evening, about 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts of energy could be preserved. He also stressed the need for the preservation of rain and flood water to reuse it for agriculture and other purposes.
He said that the country needed small and big water reservoirs to save precious water from rain. “By meaningful changes in our thinking and attitudes we can solve our financial problems and start a happy and prosperous life”, he said.
Water, energy must be preserved
The president said that water and energy must be preserved and necessary measures should be taken for this purpose. He said that after the flood is over, the country is starting rehabilitation of the affected families. Climate change and global warming are big problems causing various natural disasters around the world and Pakistan is one of the most-affected countries. Unfortunately, the world is not so serious about these issues.
Contraceptive use needed to prevent unwanted pregnancies
President Alvi said that the rapidly growing population is also a serious issue but due to cultural taboos, people feel reluctant to use contraceptives to avoid unwanted pregnancies, which are 50 percent of the total pregnancies of nine million in a year.
The president said that high-yielding seeds, the use of artificial intelligence to provide micronutrients and highly efficient water conservation techniques have helped to usher in an era of food abundance across the world. If Pakistan focuses on these areas, it could easily control hunger.
