LAHORE: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for mutual cooperation in conducting a joint training and research exercise for addressing the water issues and quality challenges through improved governance and efficient management of water resources.
WAPDA Chairman Zafar Mahmood and NUST Rector Mohammad Asghar signed the MoU on behalf of their organisations. The major areas to be covered under the MoU include planning and implementation of joint research projects and activities, raising public awareness about water management issues, capacity building, sharing of information and data, exchange and training of scientific and technical personnel and NUST students’ internship at WAPDA projects.
Addressing the ceremony, the chairman said that WAPDA, besides engaging other stakeholders, has also been reaching out the academia in a bid to introduce efficient management of water resources and to promote a culture of water conservation amongst the masses.
He said that WAPDA had earlier signed three MoUs in this regard with Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the Sindh Agriculture University. There is a dire need to formulate a comprehensive strategy in collaboration with all stakeholders to address such issues, he added.
Dilating upon the water issues in the country, he said that decreasing per capita availability of water due to rapid population growth, insufficient water storage capacity, lowering of aquifer because of un-regulated water pumping and wastage of water in municipal, industrial and agricultural sectors are the main problems confronting Pakistan.
NUST’s rector said that promoting the prudent and productive use of water in all walks of life is need of the hour. He termed the signing of MoU between WAPDA and his university ‘a good omen for water sector in the country’.
“The mutual cooperation will help promote improved governance and efficient management of water resources,” said Asghar. He also expressed hope that both the organisations will effectively work together in the areas identified in the MoU.
