Ms. Aban Marker Kabraji, Regional Director, IUCN Asia Region, Ms. Nikhat Sattar, Country Group Head (CGH-2), Mr. Sohail Malik, Country Representative and Mr. Hamid Sarfraz, Manager, Programme Coordination visited Balochistan Programme office.

The objective of the visit was to get a broad picture of the Balochistan Programme to discuss and assess the progress and the achievements since its commencement, and future vision of Balochistan Programme.

The occasion also provided an opportunity to introduce IUCN’s new Country Representative, Mr Sohail Malik, to the staff of Balochistan Programme, partner organizations and key stakeholders in Balochistan.

Dr. Abdul Majeed presented salient features of the Balochistan Programme, the progress made, significant results and outcomes achieved and an outline of future programme and activities after the completion of Balochistan Programme in March 2007. He briefed on the current water situation in the province and on ways to overcome the severity of the water scarcity in the agro-pastoral province of Pakistan by introducing and promoting artificial recharge. He informed that a small scale pilot field project had already been established in Balozai area of the Province.

During that meeting the future proposals and projects in the pipe line were also discussed and came into consideration for the successful continuation of this Programme. The Regional Director emphasized on the prompt finalization of new proposal and timely submission to the potential donors.

Dr. Abdul Majeed showed the three dimensional working model of artificial recharge project being executed by IUCN Water Programme at Balozai. He informed that this was the first project of its kind in Pakistan and Asia and would go a long way in enhancing recharge to the depleting aquifers of the area. Working mechanisms of the artificial recharge project were explained through the model operation.