This seminar and visit to UW is sponsored by UW-CEE and UW Global Affairs Strategic International Partnership Travel Award as part of an on-going effort to improve capacity to tackle emerging freshwater issues around the world. Details are provided below. Light refreshments will be served.

Water Resources Management for Food Security and Ecosystem Sustainability in Pakistan

Dr Ashfaq Ahmed Sheikh

Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources

Location: More Hall 220

Date and Time: November 2, Monday 2.45PM-3.50PM

Pakistan is 6th largest country in the world having population more than 200 million. Agriculture has major role in the economy with 23% share in GDP and providing more than 45% employment. The per capita water availability is continuously decreasing as it was 5,600 m3 after independence in 1947 and has now dropped to 1,000 m3. The available land and freshwater resources are therefore under greater stress as the water shortage is projected to grow and the population expected to double by 2050. The uncontrolled urbanization is another threat to the natural environment that undermines productive agricultural lands resulting in ecosystem degradation and food security vulnerability. This talk will enlighten the audience about the initiatives taken by Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) for sustainable water resources development (quantitatively and qualitatively) with a focus on food security and ecosystem sustainability. Further applications of advanced tools such as GIS/RS applications and modeling efforts for water resources assessment will also be presented besides studies on sea-water intrusion and desertification control. Specific areas requiring collaborative support from the University of Washington will also be discussed such as trans-boundary issues and cropping patterns with reference to climate change besides assessing ecosystem vulnerability.

Speaker Bio:

Dr Ashfaq Ahmed Sheikh is Director General (Research and Coordination) at Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources. Dr Sheikh graduated from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad with a B.Sc Agricultural Engineering degree in 1993, followed by MSc Engineering in Hydrology and PhD Civil Engineering with specialization in Hydrology from the United Kingdom. He is a professional engineer having more than 22-years of professional and research experience in the water sector. He has undertaken large number of R&D projects and collaborative initiatives with several international donors and institutions for the development of the Indus river system.

For more information, contact:

Faisal Hossain

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of Washington