STAFF REPORT IBD: Pakistan still does not have any defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to deal with hazardous wastes and other materials retrieved from ships. To make matters worse, hazardous waste from ship-breaking activity has been accumulating over the years in Gadhani. Pakistan is faced with an urgent need to recognize ship-breaking as an industry and develop a coherent environment-friendly ship-recycling strategy.
This was highlighted at a seminar on “Sustainable Ship-recycling Industry”, organized by the SDPI which also featured the launch of a research report titled “Pakistan Ship Breaking Outlook: The Way Forward for a Green Ship-recycling Industry”.
In his welcome address, SDPI Executive Director Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri encouraged the efforts of NSP for highlighting environmental aspects of the ship-breaking industry.
Kanwar Javed, lead author of the report, informed that the study analyses the global economic and legal framework in which the ship breaking industry in Pakistan is embedded. The study also sheds light on the linkages of the sector to the global maritime industry and its recycling practices.
Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of NSP and also a co-author of the report, introduced the main findings of the report.
MNA Arifa Khalid observed through such activities, policy makers as well as the masses can be made aware of pressing issues in public policy for social welfare.