Kathmandu, June 4:

Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Mahanta Thakur today said that the country lacks mechanisms to control environmental degradation.

All concerned should join hands to control environmental degradation, he said, adding, “We must work together with the government, non-government and international organisations for nature conservation,” Thakur said at a workshop on ‘Protection and Promotion of Environment: Today’s Need and Challenges’.

NGOs and INGOs have launched various nature conservation programmes, he said, adding, “People should know about the environment and learn to protect it.” An environmentalist, Damodhar Sharma, said illiteracy, lack of awareness, population growth, unemployment, haphazard construction of buildings are mainly to blame for the degradation of environment. “Bio-engineering technology should be developed and promoted to protect environment from further degradation.” He also called for the implementation of international protocols and treaties. “The government should formulate laws to minimise imbalance in the ecosystem.”