PM set to launch Clean Green Pakistan Index tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch on Monday the country’s first ever barometer that will measure green character and cleanliness of Pakistani cities, a flagship environmental conservation and protection plan of the government.

Malik Amin Aslam, the premier’s adviser on climate change, said the Clean Green Pakistan Index (CGPI) aims to improve overall green and clean outlooks of cities on various indicators including sustainable public access to clean drinking water, safe sanitation, effective solid waste management, and tree plantation.

The grand ceremony of the CGPI launch will be attended key political and non-political representatives of provincial governments including Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, ministers and senior government officials, foreign ambassadors, teachers, students and senior representatives of local and international non-governmental organisations.

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At the grand launching ceremony, the prime minister would also announce the start of the first phase of six-month competition among 19 cities of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which will be later expanded to other cities across the country.

The climate adviser said that the country’s socio-economic, health and environmental damages to the tune of around Rs700 billion annually because of environmental degradation, deforestation, poor access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation, lack of solid waste management, and wastewater treatment facilities.

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“Tackling these challenges by initiating competition among Pakistani cities, which are witnessing the growing exodus from rural areas, to improve green and clean outlooks is the pivotal objective of the CGPI rolled out in consultation with relevant government and non-governmental and international stakeholders,” he said.

The prime minister’s adviser emphasised that the CGPI has been rolled under the manifesto of clean and green Pakistan and environmental conservation and sustainability.

He said the present government is ventured upon transforming overall outlooks of the countries cities, which are in a bad shape for lack of green characters and adequate basic life sustaining facilities.

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“However, making cities sustainable and livable is inevitable, because cities are now gradually emerging to be key economic engines of the country,” he stressed.

Referring to roles of cities in European, Asia-Pacific countries and elsewhere, the climate adviser said that cities are playing vital roles in overall socio-economic development of the countries.

He argued cities are providing economies of scale, efficient infrastructure and services in sustainable transportation, communications, power, human interactions, water and sanitation services, waste management, and enhanced urban forestry activities.