Reuse of wastewater can help reduce country’s water stress: seminar

The reuse of wastewater can play a key role in reducing water stress in the country, said Pakistan Academy of Engineering President Dr Jameel Ahmad Khan while addressing the 13th symposium of the academy.

The theme of the symposium was ‘Water Stress’ and its focus was on groundwater resource management, management of water distribution and handling of wastewater while utilising the available technologies in order to reduce water stress.

Dr Khan shared a comprehensive and well-illustrated presentation on membrane processes for water and wastewater treatment. Experts at the symposium lamented that the Indus basin aquifer is among the world’s second-most overstressed source of water.

They were of the view that Pakistan is classified as an extremely high water stress country, so technology assessment should be conducted to reduce water use to address water scarcity in the energy, municipal water and agriculture sectors.

Nuclear engineering expert Waqar Butt imparted a detailed presentation on nuclear desalination for coastal areas of Pakistan. Water and energy expert Dr M Bashir Lakhani, who is also W&E director of Techno-Consult International, shared his technical views regarding the leakages of piped water in Karachi. Prof Dr Muhammad Shafqat Ejaz of the NED University of Engineering & Technology elaborated on the latest technologies applied to groundwater mapping in Pakistan.

Experts from government, academia and business sectors attended the event, which was concluded after a discussion and a question-and-answer session. The Pakistan Academy of Engineering provides policy insight to its stakeholders.