Conference on sustainable energy held in Karachi University VC of Dawood University attended

Описание: KARACHI: Highlighting multiple challenges being faced at the global and national level, speakers at an international conference held on Friday at Karachi University (KU) underscored the need for sustainable, integrated solutions designed through research, innovation and collaboration.

The conference — Sustainable Green Energy, Environment, and Digital Innovations — was jointly organised by KU’s Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP).

Prof Iqbal Muhammad Mujtaba, associated with the University of Bradford (UK), said societies were needed to move toward sustainable, resilient, intelligent, and harmonious systems, with near-zero water and soil pollution, as climate change, environmental degradation and resource shortages intensified.

“River basins shared by multiple countries—such as India and Bangladesh, and India and Pakistan—require not only scientific and technological expertise but also continuous and effective political dialogue between governments,” he stressed.

Highlighting the need for water conservation, he said a 10-minute shower consumed about 90 litres of water, while a bathtub used 190 litres. Reducing shower time to five minutes could save 45–50 per cent of water.

On food waste, he cited the UN data showing that in 2020, households worldwide discarded nearly one billion meals daily, while 783 million people faced hunger and one-third of the global population experienced food insecurity.

“Producing wasted food consumes 250,000 cubic meters of water and 1.4bn hectares of land (28pc of global agricultural land). It also contributes 3.3bn tons of CO-equivalent greenhouse gases annually,” he told the audience.

In his remarks, Chairman IEP-Karachi Centre Engr Muhammad Farooq Arabi said the conference’s theme held extraordinary importance.