LAHORE - The Government College University Lahore has established Pakistan Botanic Gardens Network Secretariat (PBGNC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment for linking all the botanic gardens and conservation and sustainable use of Pakistans unique environment, botanical and cultural heritage. Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi was the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the Secretariat and the PGBNCs first seminar on 'Conserving and Restoring the Undesignated Remnants of Natural Plant Communities. GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Khalid Aftab chaired the seminar. The remnants including Harrapa Forest, Butea Forest and Pirch Forest were presented as case studies before the experts during the technical sessions of the seminar. Analysis show that the remnants have changed substantially in extent, configuration and composition but they persisted through a long period of landscape change and comprise important reservoirs of bio-diversity which will retain biotic and important for understanding and restoring native ecosystem, said noted environmentalist and PBGNC Director Dr Aminul Haq while addressing the seminar. The federal minister laid stress on raising awareness among the people about environmental issues. Environmental degradation is not a natural calamity, it is something which is directly related to us, caused by us and can be only preserved by us, he said. He further said that the Ministry of Environment had been making efforts to launch a mass awareness campaign to save our environment. GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Khalid said education in 21st century has become highly innovative and the biggest challenge is to make the Interdisciplinary Research more and more productive. He said that its time to dissolve the boundaries of academic departments within academic institutions and increase cooperation between various disciplines to cultivate an environment for research. He said that the synergy is the slogan which needs to be adopted.