Dr Mahmood A Khawaja of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has said that unmanaged waste has become a serious concern for Pakistan and Asian countries causing serious environmental, health and economic losses.
Addressing a one-day seminar on waste management here at National Centre for Excellence in Physical Chemistry, University of Peshawar (UoP) he attributed the problem to the lack of waste management practices. He said that instead of utilising wastes, we are using resources resulting in the fast depleting of water and other resources in the country.
Dr Mahmood said that Asia Pacific comprises of one third of the planet and has a population in the access of two third of the world, which is growing at a constant rate.
It is imperative for countries in this region to adopt proper waste management practices, where half of the population is living below poverty line. He gave the formula of 3Rs to effectively utilise wastes, ie, Reduction of the product at source, Re-using and Recycling it.
With the help of visuals, he identified places where hazardous pesticides are present at an Agricultural Extension Centre, which is a possible danger and an old DDT manufacturing factory at Nowshera and said that these unutilised chemicals must be removed from residential areas and must be made used where they required.
He gave the examples South Korea and Peoples' Republic of China, who are adopting best waste management practices through reusing the wastes with utilisation of minimum resources. Dr Khawaja said that a pollutant pays principle should be introduced and the manufacturers should be taken on board to enhance productivity through efficient designing of the product.
Director NCE Professor Dr Hassan thanked the speaker and participants for their active involvement in the seminar and stressed the need for a society in which all the stakeholders think, act, promote and contribute towards waste management.
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