Water resource management: ‘Community education is the key’

UNESCO is preparing a national water sector strategy, including an action and investment plan.

FAISALABAD:

The use of modern technology and community education are the key to sustainable management of water resources and prevention of floods and droughts, said Dr Shahbaz Khan, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management Section chief said on Friday. 

He was speaking in a meeting with the University of Agriculture Faisalabad vice chancellor. Dr Asima of the UNESCO was also present.

Dr Khan said the UNESCO was working with the Pakistani government in developing and managing response systems to fight natural disasters. He said the plan devised in this regard covered four key areas: flood system, mapping and assessment of geo-hazards, protection of ground water resources for safe use and community education. He said UNESCO was also involved in the water sector taskforce established by the Friends of Democratic Pakistan.

The taskforce is preparing a national water sector strategy, including an action and investment plan, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.

UAF vice chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan informed the media the UAF had won the Science and Technology Award 2012 by Islamic Development Bank.

He said the UAF was the third education institute of the country to have won the award. Earlier, he said, HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Karachi, had won the award in 2004 and Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Punjab University, had won it in 2008.

He said the UAF had been ranked as the third best university of the country. He said the number of citations of the university’s research had doubled in a year.

He said that the UAF was offering 22 bachelors and 45 master degree programmes, majority of them in agriculture. As many as 22 international research and development projects were underway at the university.

He said the university planned to soon launch a master degree programme in water management.

Dr Iqrar said the UAF was running a farm to educate farmers about drip irrigation method that is helpful in conserving irrigation water.

He said it was important to set up treatment facilities where water contaminated with industrial waste could be recycled and made useful.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2012.