Federal Science and Technology Secretary Sharif Ahmad has said that water conservation is essential in attaining food security. "We need to develop a culture of water conservation at grass root level, and also invest in both major and mini reservoirs to store water," he said.
The Federal Secretary was addressing a one-day consultative meeting of Mass Awareness for Water Conservation and Development (MAWCD) Project here on Monday, jointly organised by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan. He also appealed to all stakeholders to work together to find ways that lead to proper water usage both in agriculture and in homes.
Ahmad also stressed the need for big dams to store water, which would also provide much needed electricity to the country. Continuing, he added that water has a special meaning to our national economy as it provides the energy on which our industries are dependent and with the ongoing energy crisis, the economy cannot progress.
"We have enough water in our rivers, but we are still facing water scarcity and this is effecting our economy. Hence, we need to build big dams to store water that otherwise end up in the sea," he remarked.
Ahmad appreciated the efforts of the MAWCD Project in holding this consultative meeting and expressed his belief that such meetings should be held regularly to apprise and update the concerned authorities and stakeholders on the progress of the project. He also felt that such meetings provide a platform for stakeholders to voice their concerns and views on the project.
Dr Muhammad Akram Kahlown, PCRWR Chairman and the National Project Director of MAWCD, said that there is a dire need to conserve water, sustain water resources and urge the masses to adopt water conservation measures to reduce the fast depleting water resources of the country. Later, Dr Muhammad Ashraf, Chief Research of PCRWR in Islamabad, gave an overview of the project to the participants and highlighted the objectives of the MAWCD project.
Ashraf emphasised the importance of the project and said it is closely related to the objectives of the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) of Government of Pakistan. He thanked UNDP for their funding of the project, adding that it is of prime importance for Pakistan as the country is facing an acute water shortage.
Abdur Rauf, Regional Project Director MAWCD, and Muhammad Aslam Tahir, Director General, PCRWR, gave presentations on "Terms of Reference (ToRs) of Baseline Survey for MAWCD" and "ToRs of Developing Campaign for MAWCD", respectively.
Also attending the meeting were representatives of stakeholders and partners of MAWCD project comprising PCRWR, UNDP, UNICEF, IMMI Pakistan, WHO, Federal Government, WAPDA, WWF-Pakistan. Officials from the Punjab government and provincial organisations, industries, civil societies and farmers also attended the meeting, along with a large number of concerned citizens.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Terms of Reference of the Baseline Survey and the Mass Awareness Campaign of the MAWCD project and invite comments and suggestions from concerned quarters. This was a part of a series of consultative meetings held in the project cycle.
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