COMSATS University Islamabad signed a research project agreement with Engro Foundation and Engro Polymers and Chemicals Ltd on Thursday at the Islamabad Campus of the former. Ms. Naz Baloch, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change participated in the signing ceremony as Chief Guest.Prof. Dr. Sajid Qamar, Acting Rector CUI & Dean Faculty of Sciences, Mr. Favad Soomro, Head Engro Foundation along withsenior officials from Engro Corporatio n and CUI participated in the signing ceremony.
The project is aimed at understanding the socio-economic and political factors that lead to low implementation of Basel Amendments through a transdisciplinary approach and to conduct a value-chain analysis, social network analysis, and policy coherence study to identify these factors.
Using these research outputs the project is expected to enhance the capacity of government stakeholders and help them develop a policy action-plan. The project is funded by Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research.
While speaking at the occasion, Prof. Sajid Qamar, Acting Rector,COMSATS University Islamabadpresentedan overview of the vision, academics and research programs of CUI.
He highlighted the research and development activitiesof CUI particularly in the areas of Climate Change and Environmental Research at various campuses. Dr. Jabir Hussain Syed, the project team lead informed the gathering of the envisaged goals of the project as well as the project activities.
He added that the project will play an important role in capacity building of government agencies and ministries, particularly with regard to the import/export of hazardous waste from Pakistan.
In her concluding remarks Naz Baloch, Parliamentary Secretary on Climate Change said that currently one-third of Pakistan is experiencing a severe flood-crisis due to extreme and unpredicted weather events because of Regional Climate Change.