Pak-China joint earth sciences research centre proposed

Islamabad

A delegation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Wednesday proposed the establishment of a China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre on Earth Sciences, a multi-disciplinary Centre with an aim to improve resilience to natural hazards.

The proposal was given in a meeting of a six-member delegation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), headed by Vice Director Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Cui Peng with the Chairperson Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed. The delegation called on the HEC chairman at the Commission’s Secretariat.

Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that CAS and HEC have been involved in various academic projects since 2004. He said that CAS has always been supportive in executing the projects. Admiring the country-to-country cooperation in development initiatives, he said that the higher education sector of Pakistan will provide skilled human resource for the implementation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

Cui Peng presented the proposal for Joint Research Centre on Earth Sciences to improve resilience to natural hazards. He explained that due to active geological structure of the Silk Road Economic Belt, rapid tectonic uplift and difference of climates, natural hazards frequently occurred along the Belt. He maintained that 21st Century Maritime Silk Road has also been attracting increased attention due to climate change and active submarine earthquakes. The frequently occurring natural hazards along the two sites, he emphasised, seriously affect the nations’ security and social development, so it is necessary to conduct fundamental researches on hazard mechanisms to provide scientific guidance so that natural hazards can be prevented.

Cui said the proposed Centre will be capable to improve knowledge of natural hazard physical processes, predicting natural hazards, and developing an effective methodology for mitigation of disaster risks. He said that the proposed Centre will establish a platform for hazard experts and policy makers to work together to develop an actionable policy for disaster risk management.

The Chairman said that the two sides need to define the modalities of the proposed Centre, as the mega project requires immense homework. “We have to involve all stakeholders in this project as it has a huge potential to deal with issues related to Earth Sciences,” he said, adding that a conference will be organized in Spring 2017 to take input from researchers particularly who have done good work in disaster risk management.

He also stressed the need for initiating projects of students exchange so that they could study and conduct research in Earth Sciences. He informed the delegation that HEC has already set up three Centres of Advanced Studies on water, food security and energy, while work on establishment of another centre on climate change is underway.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Javed Ashraf from Quaid-e-Azam University, Dr. Asif Khan from Karakoram International University, and Dr. Tariq Mehmoud from National University of Science and Technology, Dr. Muhammad Latif, Adviser R&D HEC and Dr. Mazhar Saeed, Director General R&D HEC.