Hydrography key to safe navigation, port operations

KARACHI: The National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) in collaboration with Pakistan Navy Hydrographic Department organized an interactive online discourse on the significance of field of Hydrography to celebrate world hydrography day, on Monday. The theme of the webinar was “One hundred years of International cooperation in hydrography”.

Vice Admiral (Retd) Irfan Ahmed HI(M) SJ was the Chief Guest whereas, eminent national and international speakers including Commodore Muhammad Khalid SI(M), Hydrographer Pakistan Navy, Capt. Muhammad Shahzad TI(M) Deputy Hydrographer Pakistan Navy, Associate Professor Dr. Dimitrios Dalaklis World Maritime University (WMU), Sweden and Dr. Samina Kidwai, Director General National Institute of Oceanography shared their intellectual insights with the audience.

Commodore (retd) Ali Abbas SI (M), Director NIMA moderated the session and welcomed the speakers and participants in the webinar. He highlighted the importance of the field of hydrography in national development.

The aim of the webinar is to create awareness on the importance of hydrography and its role in rendering our waters safer to support maritime trade and accident-free marine environment, he said.

The speakers shared the advancement in knowledge and technology in the hydrography over the past 100 years while highlighting the groundbreaking work done during the period. While addressing the audience, Commodore Muhammad Khalid said that Pakistan Navy Hydrographic Department (PNHD) is fulfilling its international obligations to ensure safe waters for the ships through the busy shipping lanes in the North Arabian Sea.

Captain Shahzad shed light on the growing role of field of hydrography in contemporary times. While highlighting the futuristic dynamics of the field, Associate Professor Dr. Dimitrios Dalaklis of World Maritime University Sweden talked about contemporary shipping and the need for advancement capacity building in hydrography. The talk of Dr Samina Kidwai, DG NIO was centred on various overlapping aspects of hydrography and oceanography.

At the end of the webinar, the Chief Guest Vice Admiral (retd) Irfan Ahmed said that PNHD has come a long way in remaining abreast with the modern trends in Hydrographic Surveys and is utilizing some of the most modern technologies to enhance both coverage and resolution of surveys. The support provided by PNHD to the national and international shipping, ensuring safe navigation and safer port operations is one of the key benefit.

In the end Vice Admiral (retd) Abdul Aleem HI(M), Director General NIMA thanked the guests, participants and the panellist for sparing their valuable time and applauded efforts of NIMA and PNHD for making the event a success. A large number of participants from academia, maritime experts, university students, government departments, and think tanks actively participated in the webinar.