Conservation of water vital for prosperity: Australian HC

Lahore : Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson Thursday said that all projects, initiated

under the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIR), are fundamentally connected for sustainable development.

She said this while addressing a programme held in connection with the World Water Day 2018 at a local hotel.

She said, “All of us know how important water is for sustainable existence and future sufficiency is one of the emerging global concern.”

Margaret Adamson said that there was need to increase yield of agriculture commodities besides conserving water adding that Eco system required to be maintained.

High Commissioner said that Pakistan needs to increase success rate as exporting nations and added that active participation of women alongside their collaborative was essential.

She assured full support of Australian government to agriculture and water resources management in Pakistan and added that Australian Water Programme is a 15 million Australian dollar project, currently under way in the country.

Federal Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology Yasmin Masood said that under Australian Water Programme farmer skills were being enhanced and she appreciated this effort.

The secretary said that need-based technologies should be adopted for achieving better results and stressed the need for disseminating new, cost-effective and innovative solutions to address water scarcity for agriculture sector.

Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) Chairman Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that the Council, in collaboration with its knowledge partners, was taking various initiatives to

improve water productivity.

Dr Sandra Mustafa from the University of Canberra said that all farmer learning techniques and technologies and innovations should be incorporated in the social context of farmers life.

Only through it, the dream of financial well-being of farmers could be realised, Dr Sandra added.

This year, the theme for World Water Day 2018 is “Nature for Water”.