Experts stressed the need to enhance crisis response and resilience, scale down climate risks and economic challenges, and promote sustainable agriculture during the concluding session of the two-day international conference on 'Data-Driven Social Change-2025.' The event was organised by the Information Technology Centre (ITC) of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and held at SAU.
They discussed the role of data analytics in mitigating risks associated with emergencies, disasters, climate change, public health, and economic crises.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) former Director General Sanaullah Abbasi elaborated on the evolving transition from the material world to cyberspace, where sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, and the economy increasingly rely on digital data. He said that while this digital transformation brings efficiency, it also poses major challenges related to cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection.
He further contextualised these changes within two major historical revolutions: the Industrial Revolution, which spurred mechanised production and trade, and the Internet Revolution, which integrated information, commerce, and education into the digital domain.
He said that today, climate change, cybersecurity, and advanced technology are among the foremost global priorities.
He added that AI-driven predictive analytics are reshaping cyberspace, agriculture, trade, and social media, necessitating proactive measures to ensure ethical and responsible implementation.
SAU Vice Chancellor Dr Altaf Ali Siyal underscored the significance of data-driven social transformation for Sindh. He highlighted the potential of modern data analytics to enhance agricultural productivity, improve disaster prediction, ensure fair water distribution, and facilitate climate risk assessment. He also emphasised the growing threats of cybercrimes in parallel with increased data usage, stressing the need for robust data security, ethical data management, and social protection measures.
Presenting recommendations, SAU Information Technology Centre Director Dr Mir Sajjad Talpur called for developing real-time data systems to enhance emergency preparedness and disaster response; utilising predictive analytics to mitigate risks related to climate change, public health, and economic instability; encouraging public-private partnerships; and creating multi-stakeholder initiatives that connect governments, academia, and industry to maximise the social impact of data-driven innovations.
He also supported funding opportunities for collaborative research and development projects that address challenges.
Researchers presented a string of research papers to find solutions to challenges related to climate change and other pressing issues.
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