IDCLC launches environmental conservation as 2018's theme

ISLAMABAD - A local dynamic youth group, Islamabad Devcom Centennial Leo Club (IDCLC), has launched ‘engaging youth for environmental conservation and water advocacy’ as its theme of the year .

The Friday's event was supported by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan), Heinrich Boell Stiftung (HBS) and Reclaiming Green Islamabad (RGI).

Speaking on the occasion, the Devcom-Pakistan Director and a founding advisor of the IDCLC Munir Ahmed said the country’s youth, a 62 percent of the total population could play the significant role in combatting environmental degradation and water scarcity.

He said, "we need to be more sensitive about the sustainability of our future and act upon the conservation strategies more religiously".

"We need to stop politicising every development agenda especially the construction of small and large dams if we really don’t want to see our children dying thirsty," he added.

Ahmed said the government shall take lead in developing an integrated action plan to engage all the stakeholders and partners for water development and management on a priority basis. Here comes the role of civil society for environmental conservation and water advocacy where the youth can play its key role in mobilising the public and partners, he maintained.

Sanaullah Aman, an active environmentalist, and former CDA Member Environment said the capital city has been an attraction and a model city for the entire country.

He informed that in the recent years, clean and green nature of the city is being compromised with ever increasing water scarcity while IDCLC members can take lead by mobilising the youth of different educational institutions and universities for the implementation of integrated and concentrated action agenda.

Mome Saleem, the environmental programming head at the HBS and chief coordinator RGI, briefed the young audience about different concepts of conservation and ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

She said small steps lead to bigger change. Therefore, everyone shall try to contribute whatever is possible and send the message across to colleagues, neighbors, and fellows. "We shall also check our consumption patterns as well while eating what we don’t need to and using what we could avoid reducing stress on nature and natural resources. We need to reduce our waste as well."

The incoming president Leo Haares Munir said young members of the IDCLC would develop a year-long action plan to contribute their efforts to improve the local environmental conditions and create awareness among the general public to reduce their carbon footprint.

The local communities and the Margalla Hills National Park will be focused to reduce stress on nature.

Special efforts would be made to clean the pathways of natural streams by pushing the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to play its role.