Ganderbal: The Faculty of Forestry, Benhama-Watlar, Ganderbal, on Friday marked the successful completion of a week-long capacity building programme aimed at strengthening the skills and knowledge of frontline officers of the Forest Department.
The programme, titled “Building Expertise for Upgrading Skills, Advancing Conservation & Creating Resilient Forests”, brought together officials from the Forest and allied departments, alongside academicians, to enhance strategies for sustainable forest management and conservation.
The valedictory event was attended by Prof. H.R. Naik, Director of Research at SKUAST-K, as the chief guest, and Mr. Iqbal Rasool Dar (IFS), Divisional Forest Officer, Sindh Forest Division, as the guest of honour. The Dean of the Faculty, Prof. A.H. Mughal, heads of divisions, faculty members, students, and staff were also present.
Dr. N.A. Pala, Associate Professor and moderator of the event, presented a detailed progress report of the programme, which featured 24 discussion-oriented lectures, four field demonstrations, and four hands-on training sessions. He said the initiative successfully fostered a network of professionals committed to advancing forest sustainability and resilience.
Prof. Mughal congratulated the participants for their active involvement and reiterated the Faculty’s commitment to organizing such knowledge-sharing and skill enhancement initiatives in the future.
In his remarks, guest of honour Mr. Dar stressed the urgent need to address climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and unsustainable forest use. He emphasized preparing the next generation of forest leaders through modern technologies such as drone surveillance, forest fire management using remote sensing and GIS, and predictive ecological modelling for challenges like human-wildlife conflicts in urban ecosystems.
Delivering the valedictory address, Prof. Naik underlined the importance of equipping stakeholders with updated knowledge and practical skills to tackle contemporary challenges in the forestry sector. “This capacity-building initiative is not just a training exercise but a vital step towards ensuring the sustainability of natural resources and the wellbeing of forest-dependent communities,” he said.
On the occasion, Prof. Naik also presided over the release of Faculty publications, the Annual Progress Report, and distributed certificates among the participants.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Akhlaq Amin Wani, Head, Division of Natural Resources Management, and a group photograph of the participants and faculty members in the lawns of the Faculty.
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