ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Over 50 senior Pakistani government officials, university leaders, and civil society experts on Tuesday met for the opening of a three-day workshop with two US government scientists on watershed planning in the Gomal Zam Dam area.
This workshop supports Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to conserve and manage watersheds and water usage benefiting small shareholder farmers, said a press release issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad.
Jon Fripp, a civil engineer, and Mike Kucera, an agronomist, both from the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service, facilitated the first day’s activities.
Pakistani and US Experts Conserve Water in Gomal Zam Dam Area
Over the next two days, provincial planners, farmers and engineers will use USDA planning tools to develop a conservation plan for the Gomal Zam Dam area which can then be applied to other watersheds throughout Pakistan.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Casey Bean, Agricultural Counselor at the US Embassy in Islamabad, stated “this workshop takes a critical next step in allowing Pakistan’s farmers to expand agricultural productivity through the preservation of soil and water by integrated planning.”
Organized by USAID, USDA, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), this workshop is a continuation of USDA’s ongoing engagement in Pakistan.
In addition to its efforts to foster stronger trade relationships between the United States and Pakistan, since 2011 USDA has been actively working in Pakistan to increase productivity in the agricultural sector.
