COMSATS Takes Part in the 'International Year of the Mountains' Activity

The three day symposium on Mountains of Pakistan - Protection, Potential and prospects' co-organized and co-sponsored by COMSATS concluded on the 19th of December 2002. The event was last of the chain of events taking place in association with the International Year of Mountains-2002 (IYM).

The principle organizers the Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC) and the Ministry of Environment, Local Government and Rural Development (MOE, LG&RD) convened the event, whereby eminent scientists, researchers and scholars presented their research work and appraised the audience with their valuable inputs. The symposium deliberated upon many areas of paramount concern today, with special reference to mountain ecosystems, environment, biodiversity, natural hazards, social development & tourism, sustainable livelihood and global impact.

The symposium comprised six technical session, presided over by eminent scientist, figureheads from various organization and academic institutions both in and across Pakistan. Among them were, Dr. Fareed Malik, Chairperson Pakistan Science Foundation; Dr. Azra Meadows from University of Glasgow, UK; Dr. Abdullah Malik, Member Bio-Sciences and Admin, PAEC; Country Representative of IUCN Pakistan; and President Adventure Foundation of Pakistan.

The audience was equally balanced with representatives from many academic and research organizations functioning in the fields of environment, forestry, geology, mountaineering, global impact and sustainable development at national and regional level.

The symposium was in line with the COMSATS mission of promoting science and technological research and development for sustainable development, especially with the view that Pakistan has a substantive region comprising various plateaus, hilly and high-altitude mountainous areas