While speaking at the closing ceremony of Diploma Course in "Flood Forecasting and Flood Hazard Management" held at US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W), Mehran University on Saturday, the Chairman said that the country has witnessed devastating floods, prolonged drought, heat waves, and erratic weather patterns which affect almost every aspect of life including agricultural productivity, livestock, food security, emergence of new diseases, changes in disease vectors, recession of the Himalayan glaciers, hydro power generation, etc.
He said that the Indus River System is the lifeline of Pakistan's economy and water availability in Pakistan has decreased over time. Currently, per capita availability of water in Pakistan is down to almost 1000 cubic meters from more than 5,000 cubic meters in 1947 and the country is at the verge of becoming a water-stressed country. "The situation is aggravated further due to the fact that Pakistan is considered as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change", he added.
On the concluding note, he appreciated the efforts taken by the MUET Water Centre serving as a nucleus and a laboratory to facilitate adoption of necessary measures in translation of water Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). He suggested with collaborative efforts through this Centre the policy measures and action plans could be identified which could help to address the Water Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-6) as per Pakistan's commitment to the United Nations.
On the occasion, MUET Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Aslam Uqaili said that learning is lifelong process and through the process the knowledge can be transferred, applied, created and integrated. Dr Uqaili said that prevailing water situation and climate change condition place us in the state of high responsibility to prepare ourselves and all those concerned in effective management of our water resources and also equip ourselves in dealing with extreme weather events. On the occasion, Dr Steve Burain, Director USPCAS-W University of Utah, Professor Dr Bakhshal Khan Lashari, Project Director USPCAS-W MUET, Professor Dr Rasool Bux Mahar, Deputy Director USPCAS-W MUET also spoke on the occasion.