ISLAMABAD, Sep 23 (APP):Islamabad hosted the opening of a four-day international conference on Wednesday focused on harnessing artificial intelligence to address growing challenges in water governance, security and safety, bringing together scientists, researchers and experts from Pakistan and several countries. The ANSO–COMSATS Conference on Artificial Intelligence Enabled Solutions for Sustainable Water Governance, Security and Safety is being organised by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the …
ANSO–COMSATS Int’l conference on AI-Enabled Solutions for Water inaugurated
ISLAMABAD, Sep 23 (APP):Islamabad hosted the opening of a four-day international conference on Wednesday focused on harnessing artificial intelligence to address growing challenges in water governance, security and safety, bringing together scientists, researchers and experts from Pakistan and several countries.
The ANSO–COMSATS Conference on Artificial Intelligence Enabled Solutions for Sustainable Water Governance, Security and Safety is being organised by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) under the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO) grant scheme for scientific activities.
The conference, hosted at COMSATS University Islamabad, has been endorsed as an official activity of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) 2024–2033, led by UNESCO.
Rana Ahmad Atteeq Anwer, Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Science and Technology and Information Technology and Telecommunication, attended the inaugural ceremony as chief guest and highlighted the mounting pressures on water systems from climate change, rapid urbanisation, industrial expansion, population growth and pollution.
Referring to Pakistan’s devastating floods of 2022, he said many developing countries were also facing prolonged droughts, groundwater depletion and deteriorating water quality. He outlined the government’s water-security agenda, including implementation of the National Water Policy, water harvesting and other sustainable measures, and stressed the need for a cohesive national approach.
Executive Director COMSATS Ambassador Dr Mohammad Nafees Zakaria said the conference was strategically significant in view of growing global water challenges and highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence as a transformative tool. He said the event directly supported Sustainable Development Goal 6 concerning clean water and sanitation.
Prof Dr Raheel Qamar, Rector of COMSATS University Islamabad, highlighted the importance of emerging technologies such as AI and cloud computing, while calling for an ethics-based approach and continued human involvement in AI solutions. He also referred to the university’s digitalisation and paperless-office initiatives aimed at conserving resources and protecting the environment.
Dr Zhijun Yi, Deputy Executive Director of ANSO, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to international scientific cooperation, joint research, capacity building and knowledge exchange for sustainable development.
The conference features technical presentations, practical training on AI tools, panel discussions and technical visits. Its collaborating organisations include the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; National Research Centre, Egypt; Global Climate-Change Impact Studies Center, Pakistan; and Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources.
Experts from Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Jordan, Jamaica, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are participating, alongside more than 50 in-person participants from Pakistani organisations and over 100 online participants.
