ISLAMABAD: NUST Institute of Environmental Sciences & Engineering (IESE), School of Civil & Environmental Engineering (SCEE), hosted “International Workshop on Sustainable Urban Water Technologies & Construction” here at the university’s main campus on Tuesday.
IESE Associate Dean Dr Imran Hashmi was the chief guest at the occasion. The workshop focused on the current situation and understanding of infrastructure development according to the environmental standards using sustainability approach.
In his address, Dr Hashmi said that no one can deny the fact that the natural resources are on the decrease and insufficient to combat with the tremendous population sprawl, adding that developing countries like Pakistan are facing severe impacts due to the limited supply of natural resources.
Hence, he maintained, in order to survive and progress, we should shift our technologies from century-old techniques to the latest proven technologies. He mentioned that the current infrastructure in Pakistan is not built according to environmental considerations.
He said there is very little expertise available in Pakistan, as a result of which the major share of energy and water is consumed by physical infrastructure. Therefore, he added, to address this issue on a sustainable basis, water and energy saving technologies need to be incorporated into the existing system.
IESE Professor Dr Sher Jamal Khan spoke about drinking water resources available globally and nationally. He also discussed water quality situation in Pakistan along with the targets and goals to be achieved by 2025. The daylong workshop was attended by local as well as international experts and participants from academia, industry, NGOs, etc.