Islamabad: The ANSO-CPJRC-COMSATS International Training Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Green Development for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) commenced at COMSATS University Islamabad. The five-day event, from June 18 to June 22, has been officially endorsed as part of the United Nations International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD 2024-2033).
According to Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, the workshop is sponsored by the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions and co-organized by the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences, COMSATS, UNESCO Chair for Mountain Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience, and the Alliance of International Science Organizations on Disaster Risk Reduction. The event is hosted by COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.
The opening ceremony featured Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and representatives from international organizations, academia, and government institutions. Dr. Fuad Pashayev, Head of the UNESCO Pakistan Office, served as the Chief Guest. In his keynote address, Dr. Pashayev underscored the threats posed by climate change, natural hazards, and environmental degradation to sustainable development. He highlighted the need for science-based policymaking and international cooperation as essential for enhancing disaster preparedness and resilience.
Executive Director of COMSATS, Ambassador Zakaria, emphasized the importance of anticipating risks and building resilience through science, technology, and informed policymaking. Rector COMSATS University, Prof. Raheel Qamar, stressed the role of academic institutions in providing science-based solutions to climate-induced hazards faced by CPEC, especially in the disaster-prone regions of the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush ranges.
Prof. Hong Tianhua highlighted the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center’s role in advancing scientific cooperation in earth sciences, disaster risk reduction, and green development. Prof. Liu Weidong, Secretary-General of ANSO, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to promoting international scientific cooperation and translating workshop knowledge into practical action.
The workshop, attended by more than 80 participants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Syrian Arab Republic, aims to strengthen international scientific cooperation and promote innovation-driven solutions for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development, contributing to a safer and more resilient future for CPEC and the broader Belt and Road region.