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Islamabad, December 23, 2015 (PPI-OT): The national conference “Paving the Way for Sustainable Transport in Pakistan” concluded today in Islamabad. The conference brought together a wide range of national and international experts to discuss and share best practice and experiences in sustainable transport, as well as to draw attention to increasing emissions. Representatives from the government, media, academia, national and internationals NGOs, participated in the event.
This conference was organized by IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, under the UNDP-GEF funded Pakistan Sustainable Transport (PAKSTRAN) Project being implemented by the Ministry of Water and Power, Government of Pakistan.
The two days conference provided a platform to the subject experts and stakeholders to discuss and debate on various aspects of sustainable transport including climate change and emissions control, options for eco-friendly freight transport; and institutional mechanisms required to regulate the required actions. The recommendations firmed up during the conference will be presented to the concerned authorities and policy makers for incorporating in Pakistan’s Sustainable Transport Policy.
The experts unanimously agreed that the provision of a decent, efficient, safe and affordable public transport system is the key to development and can have a positive effect on the lives of the people and the emissions particularly GHG’s can be cut down significantly if vehicle technology is upgraded according to the set policy.
It was also highlighted that the death ratio is higher amongst pedestrian, cyclists and motorists who hail from the unprivileged and mostly poor communities. Mr. Hassan Nasir Jamy, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Water and Power/National Project Director of PAKSTRAN Project was the chief guest of the occasion.
While speaking on the occasion he said that Government of Pakistan is well aware of its international commitments for the sustainable development at national level and implementation of Bus Rapid System in four cities along with other energy efficient projects. The federal government is trying its best towards achievement of sustainable transport in the country.
Mr. Hassan Nasir Jamy also appreciated the efforts of IUCN Pakistan for effective implementing the component of awareness raising and capacity building that has helped in bringing the topics of mass transit system and sustainable transport in the forefront of sustainable development and policy. He expressed confidence that this conference is an important tool for the extracting the practical recommendations to improve the transport sector by bringing together international and national expertise under one roof.
Mr. Mahmood Hasan, Chief Operating Superintendent, Pakistan Railways said that Pakistan Railways is the most suitable for bulk and long haulage. It is five times more fuel efficient and more environment friendly than the other land carriers. Sharing the success of the Pakistan Railways, he said that it is continuously improving its revenue generation by 40% for the last three years. Dr. Muhammad Saleem Janjua, National Project Manager Pakistan Sustainable Transport (PAKSTRAN) Project was also present at the occasion.
The national and international experts included: Prof. Chae Ilkwon; Mr. Mahboob Elahi, Mr. Mahmood Hasan, Dr. Badar Ghauri, Dr. Noman Ahmed, Ms. Faela Sufa, Mr. Sameer Hoodbhoy, Syed Shabih-ul-Hassan Zaidi, Mr. Qazi Mohammad Omer, Dr. Muhammad Imran, Mr. Shahbaz Latif Mirza, Professor Dr. Tanvir Iqbal Qayyum; Dr. Muhammad Irfan, Mr. Khizer F. Omer, Mr. Arif Pervaiz, Mr. Ashar Hashmat Lodi; Mr. Shahid Lutfi, Dr. Muhammad Adnan, Dr. Farrukh Arif; Dr. Uneb Gazdar, Dr. Zeeshan Ali Khan.
For more information, contact:
George Sadiq
Programme Officer
Education, Communication and Outreach
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Pakistan Country Office
1, Bath Island Road,
Karachi-75530
Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35861540
Fax: +92-21-35835760, +92-21-35761448, +92-21-35870287
Cell: +92-301-2931184
Email: george.sadiq@iucn.org
Website: www.iucn.org