Pakistan needs science and technology-based solutions and approaches to materialize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the country should engage its R&D organizations in the process for formulation of national development plans. These views were expressed by participants of a talk on ‘Scientific Perspective on Sustainable Development Goals for Pakistan’, organized by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), here today.
Arranged under the umbrella of COMSATS Science Diplomacy Programme and hosted by the Faculty Development Academy, CIIT, the talk (fourth in the series) revolved around ‘UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, adopted in 2015.
Dr. Seeme Mallick, from the Centre for Climate Research and Development, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), delivered the talk and emphasized adopting clean energy mechanisms to address several development issues faced by Pakistan. She opined that the country should focus on provision of clean energy and better pricing mechanism for rapid development. The lecture was delivered to a gathering of students, academics, researchers, Ph.D scholars, as well as COMSATS’ designated Science Ambassadors and other officials.
Dr. Mallick presented a review and rational outlook of SDGs in the context of Pakistan. She opined that each of the SDGs has its own significance for Pakistan. These goals mainly include: No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Good Health; Quality Education; Gender Equality; Clean Water and Sanitation; and Reduced Inequality. She considered that success of the SDGs is correlated to nations’ advancement in science and technology.
For Pakistan to achieve the said goal, she proposed achieving sector-specific investment, macroeconomic stability, improved transport infrastructure, greener practices and processes in industry and agriculture, and channeling scientific research at higher education centers towards SDGs implementation.
Science Diplomacy Programme of COMSATS has been active to sensitize the policy makers and public on the potential of scientific interventions in addressing the development issues, as well as the need for stronger and wider collaborations in science and technology.
Dr. Mallick considered COMSATS as an important forum to design a plan for Science and Technology-based approach for implementation of SDGs in its Member States including Pakistan. COMSATS’ Advisor (Programmes), Mr. Tajammul Hussain thanked all the participants at the conclusion of the lecture.
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