Water, Environment Needs National Focus Like Conventional Security: Nisar Memon

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2018 ) :The former Federal Minister and Senator Nisar A. Memon has said only a knowledge based society can bring socio-economic development with a people-centric approach.

"Water and environment are part of the unconventional security along with the energy and food. As such they require national focus like the conventional security," he underscored while speaking as a chief guest in a conference in Jamshoro on Friday.

The event, titled Young Researchers' National Conference on Water and Environment, was held at US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCASW) at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET).He underlined the need of thoughtful and meticulous implementation of National Water Policy 2018 and Climate Change Policy 2013.

Memon opined that globally the issues of water, environment and food had attained importance because they were essential for the well-being of the people and living beings."The security of people of Pakistan requires greater investment in all water environment institutions and infrastructure with merit based governance," he said adding that Pakistan was 10th most vulnerable country in the world regarding climate change affects.

Memon said Pakistan currently had the largest youth population of its history and quoted the United Nation's Human Development Report according to which 64 percent of the country's 207 million population was below 30 years.

He noted that such conferences paved the way for the young researchers to present their research work, learn from their peers and participate in the national research endeavors.

He said the young scientists would have to protect the water assets of about 7,250 glaciers as well as the Indus basin.Dr. Bakhshal Lasahri, Project Director USPCASW, presented 32-point recommendations on the second day of the conference.The recommendations called for developing policies for regulating the use of ground water, effective implementation of national water policy, improving the irrigation to save water and promoting behavioral change to reduce wastage of water, among other measures.

He stressed on the need of carrying out institutional audit of the water resources on a periodic basis to help planners and administrative bodies to make informed decisions. Dr. Lashari also proposed that water conservation lessons in curricula at Primary, secondary and tertiary levels should be incorporated.He strongly suggested that all the industrial units should install effluent treatment plants and introduce water conservation technology.Director General Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources Dr Mohammad Ashraf, World Bank's Water Resource Specialist Muhammad Abid, Environment Specialist of Karachi Neighborhood Project'sEngr Beena Riaz, IUCN's Country Head Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Dr Kamran Ansari, civil society activist Zulfiqar Halepoto and MUET's Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Aslam Uqaili, among others, spoke at the event.