Precious resource: Adoption of best water management practices to result in savings

LAHORE:

Shoulder: WWF-P hosts second meeting of environmental journalists Pull-Out: ‘The fund has audited 35 production units in the textile, paper, pulp and leather sectors as part of the City-Wide Partnership for Sustainable Water Use and Water Stewardship in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the city.’--Water Security and Stewardship Manager Ali Hasnain Sayed.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) hosted its second environmental journalists’ quarterly meeting on Tuesday.

The initiative was taken to shed light on water pollution in the city. Senior Director Ejaz Ahmed welcomed the participants and briefed them on the fund’s activities in the sector. Water Security and Stewardship Manager Ali Hasnain Sayed told the participants about the WWF-P’s water stewardship initiative. He said the fund had audited 35 production units in the textile, paper, pulp and leather sectors as part of the City-Wide Partnership for Sustainable Water Use and Water Stewardship in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the city. The project is being funded by the European Union (EU) and seeks to implement best water management practices (BWMPs) to reduce industrial water consumption and pollution. Sayed said three training sessions had been held for industrial staff in this regard in Lahore and Faisalabad and the fund was planning to organise an additional three sessions.

He said the implementation of BWMPs in the 35 production units was projected to save 2.8 million cubic metres of water per and six megawatts of power yearly. Sayed said the implementation of the practices was also expected to reduce pollution by 10 to 30 per cent.

He said 6.02 million cubic metres of surface water were diverted to Lahore every day while informing the participants about the WWF-P’s situational analysis of the city’s water resources that was published in November. Sayed said groundwater was chiefly used for industrial and domestic purposes in Lahore. He proposed regular water-risk assessments, water-footprint reduction and the installation of treatment technology for sustainable water management in industry. Sayed said steps should be taken to regulate the exploitation of groundwater and establish protected groundwater zones.

Biodiversity Director Uzma Khan spoke about the latest issues in illegal trade of wildlife and steps taken to curb these trends to protect endangered species..

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2014.