Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has approved a new distinct category of civil awards for environment on the recommendation of the Ministry for Climate Change in view of the unprecedented significance of environmental protection and conservation.“Climate change is a real global threat which has been also impacting Pakistan with increased and frequent extreme climate events like devastating floods and intense heat wave incidents experienced in recent years. However, the creation of the civil award in environment category will help recognise unprecedented efforts of the recipient individuals, institutions and organisations towards addressing these environmental and climate change issues in Pakistan,” Federal Climate Change Minister Zahid Hamid said.The minister, according to a press release issued on Wednesday, said that the total climate change-related losses suffered by the country were estimated to be Rs1 billion per day. He stressed that deforestation, land degradation, massive air, water and land pollution, loss of wildlife habitats and biodiversity were the country’s major environmental issues.“In the light of such massive threats, numerous individuals and organisations are striving and making efforts to cope with impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, which must be recognised at the state level,” he said, adding that in the past few years, at least three brave persons have laid their lives while fighting the timber and mangrove mafias: one forest guard and two community workers.“Others have been promoting renewable energy, environmental education, forestation, water conservation and other similar efforts to save the planet,” the minister indicated.Highlighting the importance of the civil awards given at the state level in recognition of outstanding contribution in a given field of human activity, the climate change minister said that in every country such prestigious awards “are given away to recognise the efforts undertaken by individuals and organisations in any particular field of endeavour as well as significant achievements”.