A four-day international conference on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable water governance, security and safety concluded here, bringing together experts and researchers from across the world to explore technology-driven solutions to growing water challenges.
ANSO-COMSATS conference explores AI solutions for sustainable water management
ISLAMABAD, Sep 26 (APP): A four-day international conference on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable water governance, security and safety concluded here, bringing together experts and researchers from across the world to explore technology-driven solutions to growing water challenges.
The ANSO-COMSATS Conference on Artificial Intelligence Enabled Solutions for Sustainable Water Governance, Security and Safety was organized by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), with support from collaborating organizations and co-funding from the CAS-ANSO Conference Grant.
Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid Alam, who was chief guest at the closing ceremony, highlighted the importance of the conference for Pakistan in view of the country’s recurring water-related challenges, including the catastrophic floods of 2022 and the twin challenges of water scarcity and excess.
She appreciated the gathering of experts to explore the transformative potential of AI in addressing water safety and said the government was committed to integrating climate resilience into national policies and leveraging AI to help secure the country’s water future.
Executive Director COMSATS Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria thanked ANSO for financing the conference, describing it as an initiative of strategic importance. He said water challenges were common to countries and required a collective approach, particularly among developing nations.
He urged the participants to translate the knowledge and insights shared during the conference into concrete actions and reaffirmed COMSATS’ commitment to strengthening collaboration, promoting capacity building and facilitating knowledge sharing among its member states.
Prof. Dr. Junaid Mughal of COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) appreciated ANSO and COMSATS for organizing the conference and said CUI was pleased to host the important international activity.
He highlighted the conference’s focus on the potential of AI in water quality management, particularly in monitoring, forecasting and early warning systems.
The closing ceremony was attended by the Ambassadors of Palestine and Sri Lanka, senior diplomats from Zimbabwe and Indonesia, and representatives of the National Centre for Physics (NCP) and the Economic Cooperation Organization Science Foundation (ECO-SF).
The conference brought together 34 experts from Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Jordan, Jamaica, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The event featured seven technical sessions covering presentations on core themes, hands-on training on AI tools, panel discussions and technical visits to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) and Quaid-i-Azam University.
The technical visits provided foreign experts an opportunity to learn about Pakistan’s research facilities and ongoing work in relevant fields.
Around 54 scientists, researchers, officers and professionals from about 20 relevant Pakistani organizations participated in person, along with more than 200 CUI students.
Around 300 additional participants joined the conference online.
