ISLAMABAD, March 27: A week-long international summer school on ‘Recent Advances in Plant Biotechnology for Sustainable Development’ started at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Tuesday.

The event is being hosted by Department of Plant Sciences (QAU) in collaboration with German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Prof Dr Asghari Bano, chairperson, Department of Plant Sciences, in her welcome address said Pakistan had rich biodiversity of plants, animals and microbes but it was facing threats of deforestation, pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources, invasive alien species, environmental problems and population pressure.

She stressed the protection of biodiversity for future generation by adopting practical measures. She said the summer school would promote healthy scientific collaboration through this platform.

Professor Dr. Hans Joerg Jacobsen, Head of the Institute of Plant Genetics, University of Hanover, Germany said the world had to grapple with several challenges like growing population, decreasing arable land, changing climate and decreasing fossil fuel reserves.Dawn.