RAWALPINDI, June 26: The Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University and the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) here on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding for conducting research on ecological conservation and natural resource management for the Diamer Bhasha Dam.

The MoU was signed by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Irfanul Haque and General Manager Wapda Raheal Ahmad Siddiqui at the university.

The memorandum aimed to establish an effective collaboration and build joint research cooperation by providing technical, financial and other support for protecting environment and natural resource management in achieving the goals of the mega project.

Under the MoU, both the organisations will work jointly to enhance and strengthen closer cooperation in protecting natural resource base of the dam while the research to be undertaken by students/scholars of the university would be on topics covering environment, forestry, rangelands and wildlife, socio-economic (livelihood) for the watersheds of the reservoir.

The research work, thesis and publications, according to a statement, would be submitted to Wapda the outcome of which would lead to sustainable conservation of natural resources, including forests and rangelands around the project area.