35 trained in river modelling

LAHORE
A training workshop on integrated river system modelling was held between the 4th and 8th May at a local hotel.
This workshop was conducted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on behalf of the Australian government. These workshops are held in the light of recommendations by the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Water Sector Task Force (WSTF) report. The WSTF report recommends capacity building in Pakistan through implementation of Australian water management technologies in the Indus river system to overcome the water challenge.
The workshop trained 35 of Pakistan’s top water engineers in river system modelling. The participants belonged to key federal, provincial and educational institutions and PhD students of various universities. The course was opened by Raqib Khan, Chairman IRSA and concluded with a certificate awarding ceremony. The certificates were distributed among the participants by General Manager Planning & Development WAPDA, Khan Muhammad Abro.
The officials of Ministry of Water and Power, who were present at the opening ceremony, thanked CSIRO and the Australian government for this important and much-needed initiative in Pakistan. They highlighted the importance of this project and emphasised the importance of improving flow forecasts in Pakistan.
Khan Muhammad said that current flow forecasting methods needed to be improved and Australia’s expertise in this area could help Pakistan. He pointed out that a better understanding of future inflows would help Pakistan to operate its dams efficiently, which will produce better outcomes in terms of agriculture production, hydropower generation, and flood and environmental protection.
He encouraged the collaboration between Pakistan and Australian water experts and expressed confidence that Pakistan would benefit from this partnership. He highlighted that the current Australian government initiative was different from other programmes as its supported Pakistan water experts in developing their own Indus river system model to meet the specific needs of Pakistan.