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PESHAWAR, Jun 04 (APP):The Irrigation Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has agreed to work with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to address the growing water crisis, climate change and poor water governance in the province.
The collaboration will focus on guidelines issued by various institutions in the light of KP Water Act 2020 and National Water Policy 2018 implementation in the province, as well as the prevailing rules and regulations.
In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Irrigation Department KP and the International Water Management Institute.
Secretary Irrigation Department Muhammad Ayaz Khan, country representative of International Water Management Institute Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Director Water, Food and Ecosystem Dr. Mohsin Hafeez, Policy Advisor Engineer Naeem Khan, Team Leader KP Engineer Kifayat Zaman, Senior Research Officer Bioinformatics Engineer Naqash Taj Abbasi and senior officers of the Irrigation Department, attended the ceremony.
Meanwhile, speaking at the ceremony, Engineer Naeem Khan said that the main objective of the IWMI project is to conduct an accurate and scientific analysis of the groundwater situation so that the water crisis can be overcome through effective policymaking.
He said that the Irrigation Department is the largest government agency working on water resources in the province with which he has been associated for 40 years, however, through this important project, the relationship will be further strengthened and the institution will be developed on modern scientific lines.
During the function, Dr. Mohsin Hafeez said that the process of geo-tagging of tube wells has been started in Mansehra and Charsadda districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This initiative is being carried out under the Water Resources Accountability Program, which is supported by the UK’s Commonwealth Development Office and the CGIAR’s Nexus Gains Initiative.
He further added that after Punjab, water counting and water management will be carried out at two places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa using modern equipment and rules and regulations will be formulated in consultation with the relevant stakeholders and guidelines.
Addressing the ceremony, Secretary Irrigation Department Muhammad Ayaz Khan said that the province is facing many challenges in reducing water resources and improving their utilization.
The guidelines compiled by the International Water Management Institute are improving the irrigation system of the province. He paid tribute to the project officials, especially Engineer Naeem Khan, for their services.
At the end of the ceremony, Secretary Irrigation Department Muhammad Ayaz Khan and Country Representative IWMI Dr. Muhammad Ashraf signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
Dr. Muhammad Ashraf said that measures such as water accounting, development of governance management information systems, irrigation demand management, and equitable distribution of multi-sectoral water have become indispensable to address water issues.