Inaugural ceremony of travelling expo titled with "Energy for a sustainable world" was organised at Dr N.A. Baloch Model School, Old Campus Hyderabad by Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) Islamabad, Embassy of France (EoF) and Scientific, technical, industrial and cultural centre (CCSTI) under the auspicious University of Sindh, Jamshoro in a bid to understand the relationship between energy and development; the future difficulties of accessing stocks from certain sources and the effects constantly increasing that have on climate change.
The Consul General (CG) of France in Karachi Christian Ramage, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Nazir Ahmed Mughal inaugurated the travelling expo. The expo was attended by members of PSF Dr Khalil Amed Ibupoto, B.S. Chaudhri, Dr Imdad Ali Ismaili, Dr Parveen Munishi, Dr Sarfraz Hussain Solangi, Principal Model School Hyderabad Ahsan Shah Rashidi and a number of representatives of civil society, teachers and students.
Later, addressing the ceremony, PSF representative Dr Khalil Ahmed Ibu poto said that there are two reasons of the establishment of Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF)-first, research in the field of science and second, popularising of science-adding that PSF started working with the government of France since 2008 in an attempt to conduct research and it succeeded to get the required objectives in the field of mathematics, chemistry and environment sciences.
He said that Pakistan is rich in terms of natural resources and it could resolve its energy crisis too by building up its confidence with itself. Dr Ibu poto further said that the culture had close nexus with the science; therefore, it too, is necessary to save the culture of the country. In his speech, CG Christian Remage said that this is his first visit to SU old campus Hyderabad and he is astonished to see the interest of the students in the energy adding that his country has many programmes with Sindh University (SU) in the field of education and research. He said that education is an investment of future and thus the every child ought to be sent to the schools whereas the France government will keep supporting and cooperating with educational institutions.
The Vice Chancellor Dr Nazir Ahmed Mughal in his presidential address said that he has been informed that tentatively, it will travel from Islamabad, to Muzzafarabad (AJK), Peshawar, Swat, Gujrat, Nawabshah and will be concluded in Quetta. "It is hoped that the Expo will provide a great opportunity to the students, faculty members, researchers, and general public to get firsthand knowledge about various forms of Energy, ways to enhance the Energy Resources and their proper uses for the national development," Dr Mughal said.
He said self-sufficiency in energy is the assurance to excel any country's economy. According to an international analysis, the oil and gas reserves will be finished into the second half of this current century. "For that reason, to attain self-sufficiency, alternative energy resources are being explored. There are 929 billion tons approx. coal reserves available in the world whose 40 percent is used to produce the electricity. As per an estimation, third biggest coal reserve of 185 billion ton exists in Pakistan which is equivalent to 400 billion barrels of oil. In other words, our coal reserves are equivalent to Saudi Arab and Iran's combined oil reserves," he said.
Dr Mughal said that an important and natural resource of alternative energy is wind; minimum 13 kilometers per hour wind blowing is supposed to be sufficient and luckily, Pakistan has the points for the production of wind energy which is available into the coastal areas of Karachi, Thatta, Jiwani and Baluchistan's coastal belt and other areas situated into northern areas and Azad Kashmir. "Wind energy is of importance as it does not create any environmental pollution at all. Solar energy is one of the cheapest and important ways to produce the energy.