The Institute of Urbanization (IoU) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) of Pakistan plan to highlight the issue of unsustainable urban water management in many cities.

The two organizations aim to highlight water conservation policies and facilitate knowledge exchange about the best practices for water-smart cities, says a press release. They plan to organize a media fellowship to build the capacity of eco-journalists from major cities.

The fellowship on “Rainwater Harvesting for Urban Flood Management” on Sept 13-14 will help participating journalists better understand existing rainwater harvesting models and how they are benefiting the citizens.

The journalists will visit a pilot project of artificial groundwater recharge well at Kachnar Park installed by the IWMI in collaboration with WaterAid and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) to address the issue of water scarcity, reduce the climate shocks of flash flooding and recharge groundwater.

The project has shown the application of Nature-based Solutions for sustainable groundwater management. Currently, the PCRWR and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) are in the process of establishing 100 rainwater harvesting wells in Islamabad. In Lahore, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has installed an underground rainwater storage reservoir to recharge groundwater and reduce the chances of urban flooding.

The establishment of groundwater recharge facilities in Lahore and Islamabad is contributing to preventing water from getting wasted, recharging groundwater resources and bridging the gap between water supply and demand. Other major cities including Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta can also adopt and implement such solutions to tackle the challenges of urban flooding and water scarcity. Such steps will also enhance the city’s resilience to climate change impacts, says the press release.

Realizing the critical role played by media in strengthening policy dialogue around sustainable urban development, IoU and Heinrich-BöllStiftung are engaging newsmen by the establishment of Eco-Journalists’ Cohort having several successes to its credit.

Over the years, the cohort membership has increased to over 250 environmental journalists, while reporting on environmental issues has also increased manifold.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk