HYDERABAD: First International Conference on “Biodiversity of Arid Zone” will begin on Tuesday at Sindh Agriculture University Sub Campus Umerkot, where the National and International experts will present their papers on arid agriculture, climate change, production of medicinal plants, livestock, agri-ecosystem of arid zone and crop production on low water and the utilization available agricultural resource in Thar.

The Conference will continue for two days on March 7 and 8, in which there will be various sessions, and agriculture, livestock, climate and water experts will present their research papers and in particular the ecosystem of the desert region of the province.

During the different sessions, a conference on Camel, discussions and papers will be presented on Haakro river ecosystem, bird habitats, organic agriculture, food security, climate tolerant crops, and animals.

The conference will be inaugurated in the new Academic block of Sindh Agriculture University campus by Chairman of Higher Education Commission Islamabad Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Sindh Higher Education Commission Dr. SM Tariq, Vice Chancellor SAU Dr. Fateh Marri, Chairman of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, and the head of FAO Sindh office Dr. James Okoth.

While on this occasion, Director of METAMETA Dr. Frank Van Steenburgen, CEO of Thardeep Dr. Sono Kangharani, former Vice Chancellor of Mehran University Dr. Muhammad Aslam Uqaili and other guests will participate, while Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Jan Muhammad Marri will brief about the conference.

During the group discussion, technical and plenary sessions, Member of Sindh Assembly Qasim Siraj Soomro, Vice Chancellor of Shah Abdul Latif University Dr. Khalil Ahmed Ibupoto, Former Vice Chancellor of NED University Karachi Dr. Ali Raza Bhatti, Vice Chancellor, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water and Marine Sciences Othal Balochistan Dr. Dost Mohammad Baloch, Vice Chancellor of Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University Sukkur Dr. Tahmina Mangan, Director General Livestock Sindh Dr. Nazir Hussain Kalhoro, Ex-Vice Chancellor Dr. Bekharam Devrajani, Director General Agriculture Extension Hidayatullah Chhajro, R. Edward Freeman of the University of Virginia, USA, Professor Antonio Daood, of the University of Sussex, England, researcher Noor Ahmed Jhanjhi, Noor Muhammad Bajeer, writer Mumtaz Bukhari, deans of various faculties, heads of departments, many experts from Pakistan and the overseas will present their papers.

Provincial Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah will be the chief guest in the closing ceremony of this conference, while a large number of local and international experts including Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri, National Professor Dr. Bhawani Shankar, and Director General of Agricultural Research Noor Muhammad Baloch will participate.

Through this conference, recommendations regarding various sectors including Arid agriculture will be handed over to the federal and Sindh governments, which will open new doors of development with important proposals for the promotion of desert in the country including Thar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023