Staff Reporter
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz Wednesday directed the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) to start work on a pilot project for water conservation in Islamabad.
The minister issued the directive while chairing a meeting here regarding the issues related to water conservation in the country.
PCRWR Chairman Dr Muhammad Ashraf, Indus River System Authority (IRSA) members Asjad Imtiaz and Zahid Abbass, and a representative of International Water Management Institute (IWMI) attended the meeting.
It was decided during the meeting that the Ministry of Science and Technology in partnership with IWMI-Pakistan would hold a national conference on emerging water challenges, followed by an international conference.
The conferences would be held within the mandate of PCRWR. The minister emphasized that the purpose of conferences should be to review water related issues, the existing knowledge and develop a research agenda for future investment in the water sector.
He said groundwater and surface water management was a critical area and the PCRWR should pursue further research in that regard.
He stressed the need for maintaining a data repository to be maintained by the PCRWR.
He said the data of research projects must be translated into policy actions which must contribute in the socio-economic development of the country.
