Projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)in Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be made sustainable, both economically and environmentally, AJK President Sardar Masood Khan on Saturday.“We need modern industrial infrastructure, but it should also be conceived and implemented with its environmental impact in mind,” the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) president added.He was addressing a seminar titled Mainstreaming Environment in CPEC Projects - Special Economic Zone Mirpur, hosted by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Mirpur on Saturday.President Masood said that it was self-evident that economic development and environmental protection were closely linked. In modern day planning, the two cannot and should not be separated, he stressed.He directed that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports should be integrated into all development projects. “There should be no two opinions about this,” he added.He said that CPEC would ultimately bring about an economic revolution in Pakistan and AJK and this opportunity should be utilised to develop the biodiversity reserves of the region as well.President Masood said AJK too stands to gain from the mega project, adding that at least four projects for AJK have been approved under CPEC - including Kohala and Karot Hydropower projects respectively in the Muzaffarabad and Kotli districts, the Quadruple M-Expressway from Mansehra to Muzaffarabad-Mirpur to Mangla and a special economic industrial zone to be set up in Mirpur.Preserving biodiversityHighlighting broad-based prospects of CPEC in AJK, Masood said that the project would not only be an opportunity for infrastructure development, energy and industry but also a catalyst for promoting ecotourism and establishing biological and wildlife corridors.Biodiversity sites along the corridor will be preserved and developed, he added.He said that AJK was ideal for eco-tourism since it too was an emerging industry.“It is our responsibility to preserve our natural habitats with as much urgency as we pursue industrialisation,” he added.Impact of projectsThe AJK president said an industrial zone in Mirpur would provide a huge opening for the AJK economy which would stimulate industrial growth in manufacturing and exports, he added.“The governments of Pakistan and AJK would make sure that this zone does not cause environmental degradation and meets the highest environmental standards,” he added.Published in The Express Tribune, July 23, 2017.