Amir Khan

Head of the Pakistan Water Security Initiative Project Dr Imran Khalid said that Australian authorities are willing to collaborate with Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on water resources management. He made the statement while delivering a lecture at a seminar titled “Water problems of Pakistan” at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). He said that Australia was already working with Pakistan in the latter’s “Pakistan Water Security Initiative Project (2021-2025)” to help resolve the water crises in Farash Town Islamabad and James Town Rawalpindi.

He added, “475 rainwater harvesting systems and water filtration plants have been installed with Australian help. We further want to collaborate with the faculty and students of AIOU to improve the water system of Pakistan.” The seminar was presided over by the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences Professor Dr Irshad Ahmed Arshad. It was hosted by the Chairperson of the Department of Environmental Sciences Dr Sofia Khalid. Faculty members Dr Zahidullah and Dr Samia Qadeer were also present. Pakistan Water Security Initiative Project was represented at the seminar by Syed Shuja Haider and Farah Nadeem.

The project is being run with the collaboration of WWF Pakistan, Water Management Institute Pakistan, and Hydrology and Risk Consulting, Australia. Dr Irshad Ahmed Arshad said that apart from resolving the water crises, there was an urgent need to run awareness campaigns throughout the country for people to change their water consumption behaviour. He congratulated Dr Sofia Khalid on organizing the seminar and highlighted the importance of such activities.Dr Sofia Khalid, during her speech, highlighted the programs offered by the Department of Environmental Sciences.

She said that her department was offering the four-year degree-awarding program of BS in Environmental Science, adding that MSc program has been terminated as per the policy of the HEC while MPhil and PhD programs will be started soon. Dr Imran Khalid said that an agreement was signed between the government of Pakistan and Australia to strengthen cooperation between the two countries on the management of urban water resources.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk