KARACHI: Sindh University (SU) Jamshoro and the World Wild Fund for Nature- Pakistan (WWF-P) have agreed to work together in the field of technical education and research including launching joint awareness campaign among the masses.
In this regard, both the parties inked memorandum of understanding (MoU) at a ceremony held at office of the dean faculty of natural sciences where Prof. Dr. Wazir Ali Baloch on behalf of vice-chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro and Director Biodiversity Pakistan, WWF-P Dr Rabnawaz put their signatures on the agreement.
On the occasion, Director Centre for Coastal and Deltaic Studies, SU Campus Thatta Dr Mukhtiar Ahmed Maher, SU’s Director Office of Research, Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC) Muhammad Aqeel Bhutto, SU’s Director Institute of Plant Sciences Prof Dr Sadaf Tabassum, SU’s Director Plantation & Beautification Dr Nabila Shah, Regional Director (Sindh & Balochistan) WWF-P Dr Tahir Rasheed and Project Manager Conservation, WWF-P Altaf Sheikh were also in attendance.
Dean faculty of natural sciences Dr Wazir Ali Baloch said that there were several biodiversity conservation aspects in the Sindh province which needed to be addressed including flora, fish fauna, crustacean fauna and so forth.
He said that Pomacea sp. of Phylum Mollusca occurring in lakes of Thatta, was highly invasive species and harmful for rice fields which was considered as most horrible.
Dr Rab Nawaz said in his remakes that WWF alongside academic circles could play a vital role in economic development in more sustainable manner and counter climate change challenges. “WWF-P will provide the support in research and technical education to the scholars of the University of Sindh under the umbrella of the MoU, we signed”, he said.
Dr Tahir Rasheed said that WWF-P might provide assistance to the students of the University of Sindh in conducting research through the WWF Units located across Sindh. “WWF provides an excess to its available resources for factual and authentic information for research”, he said.
Dr Mukhtiar Ahmed Mahar apprised the participants of the joint research activities conducted successfully in past with WWF. He on the occasion presented books and publications to the members of delegation and briefed them about the future plans of coastal biodiversity conservation.
Dr Muhammad Aqeel Bhutto briefed the participants about the ongoing research projects of the university relating to biotechnology particularly biodiversity conservation research, utilization of state-of-the-art information technology tools.
He further said that the MoU will serve as a hub with multidisciplinary related research themes.
Senior environmentalist Nasir Ali Panhwar shared the views about the importance of the MoU and said that it will pay the way towards quality research in the field of technical education and research.
In the end, the delegation planted a sapling in varsity’s urban forest as a token of environment-protection.
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