UN urges for environment friendly reconstruction
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—The United Nations on Sunday urged Pakistan to ensure an appropriate management of waste and natural resources during the reconstruction phase of quake-ravaged regions.
Shafqat Kakakhel, U.N. Environmental Programme (UNEP), said capabilitiesto manage waste and natural resources were greatly diminished as institutional capacities and infrastructure had been lost in all sectors including services in the affected regions.
‘Mismanagement could have severe livelihood, human health and otherenvironmental impacts, not only in the directly affected areas, but also in the lower catchments,’ he told reporters.
‘Human health risks has been amplified in mountain villages where septic tanks are not used, gravity flow water networks have been destroyed and hygiene standards are generally poor,’ he said.
The quake generated ‘unprecedented’ waste and debris in form of thelandslides, damaged buildings and other infrastructure, solid and humanand medical waste and other hazardous materials. The U.N. official said the serious impact of the earthquake could only be reduced by demolishing structure safely and recycles materials after segregating them.
‘On the other hand, there has to be an appropriate storage to dump unrecyclable materials,’ Kakakhel said. He also feared that there could be further deforestation in the devastated regions as survivors would start cutting trees for heating in the harsh winter.