BEIJING, Aug. 11 (INP): The lab for ecosystem restoration and sustainable development jointly built by University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) and Shenyang Normal University, China has been inaugurated. The two sides expect to carry out some innovative projects and research programs together under the lab, according to Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor of UAF. “In Pakistan, land degradation has been eroding agricultural output. We look forward to green technology to adddress this problem”, Dr. Abid Ali of UAF told China Economic Net. In addition to joint research and publication, student and faculty exchange is also part of the cooperation.

On the inauguration ceremony, five representatives from UAF, namely, professor of horticulture Dr. Muhammad Jafar Jaskani, professors of entomology Dr. Muhammad Jalal Arif and Dr. Abid Ali, professor of botany Dr. Muhammad Saqib, and professor of agronomy Dr. Zeeshan Ahmed were engaged as visiting professors of Shenyang Normal University. In Pakistan, Two third of the rapidly increasing population depends on drylands to support their livelihood mainly by engaging in agro-pastoral activities. 

Within the vast arid and semi-arid areas which takes over 70% of national land area, all have been affected by land degradation. According to Remote Sensing study, the land degradation in Pakistan is mainly due to vegetation loss and withdrawal of agriculture, accounting for 53.78% and 40.07% respectively.  This is particular acute in the transition area from northern mountainous area to central and eastern plain and the Indus River Basin, where the intensification of human activities also plays a role. From 2001 to 2020, Pakistan’s land degradation area reached 17,550.07km2. The problem becomes even more severe after the biblical floods last year which destroyed 4m acres of crops nationwide and caused $3.18bn damages to the agriculture sector, leaving impact to be felt for years. Experts suggest that effective land use methods be formulated to protect the ecological environment and vegetation, improve the productivity of cropland, optimize the use of cropland resources, and reasonably reclaim cropland to realize “Land Degradation Neutrality” and sustainable development of land resources in Pakistan. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China