HYDERABAD: The US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W), Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro and Sindh Irrigation Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Rs. 41 million on “Capacity Building of Officers/ Officials of Sindh Irrigation Department”.
The Vice Chancellor Mehran University Dr. Muhammad Aslam Uqaili and Sindh Secretary for Irrigation Syed Zaheer Hyder Shah singed the MoU on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor said that with the generous support of American People under the auspices of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), USPCASW- the water Centre has been established in MUET after competitive process.
He said the Centre is technically supported by University of Utah, offers unique combination of higher education and applied research in water engineering with strong emphasis on research policy interface.
The Centre will produce 250 water experts having managerial and leadership capabilities to solve the contemporary problems of water issues in Pakistan, he informed and added that this agreement will contribute in University-Industry-Government framework which represents triple helix model of effective relations among all of three sectors.
He said the MoU aims at to build the capacity of irrigation department officials but in order to achieve collective good; the relationship will work beyond the agreement and Mehran University through the Centre will strive for research and reforms in the irrigation department.
Sindh Secretary for Irrigation Syed Zaheer Hyder Shah said the MoU is the first of its kind on the part of the government which is conceived in current Annual Development Plan (ADP) by any of the Sindh Government Departments.
He said this agreement will provide the framework for cooperation in promoting, participating, and delivering post graduate and short programs and conducting training for the capacity building of irrigation department.
He said that officials who are working in managerial and operational levels of the department will be trained according to their needs. These trainings on the latest scientific methods to be provided by USPCAS-W, MUET to officers of the department will enhance their knowledge and skills in the field of hydraulics, drainage, early warning and flood control management in the province, he observed.
The Project Director of USPCAS-W Dr. Bakhshal Khan Lashari said that water centre of Mehran University is a state-of-the-art centre which is equipped with modern water laboratories to carry on applied research on water sector in Pakistan.
He said that water issues of the country will be solved by developing human capital in the sector which will bring prosperity among the people by boosting the economy of the country.
He informed that under the MoU, the Centre has already conducted five-day training workshop for the officials of irrigation department on Hydraulic Modelling Using HEC-RAS” under this five year MoU, of which agreement is being signed on that day.
He said that water governance issues in the province will be mitigated by strengthening the managerial as well as technical capacity building of the officers concerned through this MoU.
