Pakistan, Australia sign activity plan on water cooperation

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday signed the annual activity plan for cooperation in the field of Water Resources Management with Government of Australia.

This annual activity plan is an instrument to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on water cooperation signed between the two countries in the month of September 2018.

Muhammad Ashraf, Secretary Ministry of Water Resources signed this document on behalf of Government of Pakistan, whereas His Excellency Dr. Geoffrey Shaw, Australian High Commissioner for Pakistan signed this activity Plan on behalf of Government of Australia.

Under this plan Government of Australia will provide technical assistance, Joint research and capacity building of the Pakistan’s water sector experts in the field of River Basin Management, Water for cities and drinking and water for food and agriculture.

Australian partners will provide water apportionment software and tool to Pakistan which will facilitate IRSA as well as the provinces for transparent water apportionment as per water Accord 1991 among the stakeholders.

Similarly flood early warning system of Gilgit-Baltistan will also be strengthening. Australian experts will undertake situation analysis of water and sanitation challenges one major cities in Sindh and Punjab.

Ground Water modeling of Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh will also be carried out under this plan. Further a joint research in the field of supportive adaptive management of salinity in Southern Punjab and Northern Sindh will also be carried out.