Under this MoU a group of 14 students was selected for internship to carry out research based work at the IUCN Quetta office. The internees were divided into two groups with one-month internship.  The areas of the research were: Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Integrated Water Resource Management and Social Work includeding  field visits and interaction with the communities. During the ceremony students also shared their research work through presentations. Mr. Tahir Rasheed, National Program Manager Sustainable Use Specialist Group-UNDP was the evaluator of the research work.

IUCN Pakistan under Balochistan Partnerships for Sustainable Development is striving towards capacity building of the government departments, academia, civil society organisations and communities in Balochistan to address the environmental issues being faced by the province. Besides the capacity building of the government line departments and other stakeholders IUCN’s main thrust was to involve the youth in the protection, conservation and management of the natural resources through sustainable development, sharing of information and research studies.

On this occasion the Spring Plantation Campaign was also launched at the University, jointly chaired by Mr. Zabardast Khan Bangash and Mrs. Sultana Baloch, Vice Chancellor, SBKWU. With the plantation of a sapling of an Arizona Pine, the Chief Guest, Mr. Bangash kicked off the campaign. The faculty members and students also planted 150 saplings of the Arizona Pine at the University premises. The saplings were a donation by IUCN to the University.


Mr. Bangash Zabardast Bangash and Mrs. Sultana Baloch distributed certificates among the students and a shield was also presented to the chief guest.  Mr. Bangash assured IUCN’s commitment to provide all the possible assistance to the University in terms of capacity building. The ceremony ended with a vote of thanks by Mrs. Sultana Baloch.

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:
Zabardast Khan Bangash, Manager IUCN Balochistan Programme,
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Quetta
Phone: +92 8128240450-2, Fax: +92 812820706
Email: zabardast.bangash@iucn.org