Pakistan’s energy sector suffers from multiple challenges to achieving affordable, reliable, sustainable energy: Benhassine World Bank approves $1 bn for DASU Hydropower Project

on 28/06/2024

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved $1 billion in a second round of additional financing for the DASU Hydropower Stage I (DHP I) Project, group’s official website said.
This financing will support the expansion of hydropower electricity supply, improve access to socio-economic services for local communities, and build the Water and Power Development Authority’s (WAPDA) capacity to prepare future hydropower projects.
“Pakistan’s energy sector suffers from multiple challenges to achieving affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. “The DASU Hydropower Project site is one of the best hydropower sites in the world and is a game changer for the Pakistan energy sector. With a very small footprint, the DHP will contribute to ‘greening’ the energy sector and lowering the cost of electricity.”
DHP is a run-of-river project on the Indus River about 8 km from Dasu Town, the capital of the Upper Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Upon completion, it will have an installed capacity of 4,320–5,400 MW. The project is being built in stages. DHP-I has a capacity of 2,160 MW and will generate 12,225 gigawatt hours (GWh)/year of low-cost renewable energy. The DHP-II will add 9,260–11,400 GWh per year from the same dam.
“DHP-I is an essential project in Pakistan’s efforts to reverse its dependence on fossil fuels and reach 60 percent renewable energy by 2031.” said Rikard Liden, Task Team Leader for the Project. “The second additional financing will facilitate the expansion of electricity supply and potentially save Pakistan an estimated $1.8 billion annually by replacing imported fuels, and offset around 5 million tons of carbon dioxide. The annual economic return of DHP-I is estimated to be around 28 percent.”
The additional financing will further support ongoing socio-economic initiatives in Upper Kohistan, particularly in the areas of education, health, employment, and transport. Through this project adult literacy has increased by an estimated 30 percent since 2012, boys’ schooling increased by 16 percent while girls’ schooling has increased by 70 percent during this period. The project will also continue ongoing community development activities on roads, irrigation schemes, schools, medical facilities, mosques, bridges, solar energy systems, and science laboratories and libraries, all with a particular focus on women beneficiaries, including the establishment of free healthcare clinics/camps with women doctors/nurses, trainings for female health workers, trainings on livelihoods and literacy for women, and awareness-raising programs on health and hygiene.

Punjab, Sindh design programs to create solar power culture

on 28/06/2024

Pakistan’s two major provinces-Punjab and Sindh-have embarked on solarization programs focusing on lower-income groups. These initiatives are intended to expand the market for solar energy and attract more families to adopt solar solutions.
Punjab, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and Sindh, led by Syed Murad Ali Shah, are severely affected by exorbitant power rates and unreliable supply from public sector utilities, impacting their economies greatly. In response, both provinces have announced programs and packages in their new proposed budgets.
The Punjab government has unveiled a relief package for low-energy consumers in the fiscal year 2024-25 budget. According to the document, the Chief Minister’s Roshan Gharana Program will provide free solar systems to households consuming up to 100 units of electricity, covering all installation costs.
Additionally, Rs 9 million has been allocated to solarize 7,000 tube wells under the Chief Minister’s initiative.
In April, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a special meeting on the “Light without Electricity Bill: Chief Minister’s Roshan Punjab Program” to discuss technical aspects of 1-kilowatt solar systems for domestic consumers. She emphasized, “The Roshan Punjab Program aims to liberate low-income families from expensive electricity.”
Approving the distribution of 1-kilowatt solar systems to 50,000 households in Punjab, the Chief Minister directed immediate implementation of a pilot project to assess efficiency. She added, “Initially, consumers using up to 100 units of electricity will qualify for the program.”
The Chief Minister was briefed that a 1-kilowatt solar system can power fans, lights, small motors, etc., with up to 16 hours of backup using a lithium iron battery. She stressed the use of state-of-the-art technology and high-quality solar panels, inverters, batteries, and accessories. She further stated, “The scope of solar systems for domestic consumers will gradually expand.”
In Sindh, the provincial government allocated Rs 25 billion in the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25 budget to fulfill a key campaign promise of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: providing free electricity to underprivileged consumers nationwide upon assuming power.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, also heading the provincial Finance Department, announced the allocation while presenting the budget in the Sindh Assembly. He stated that Rs 25 billion would be spent over the next five years to provide free rooftop solar systems to 2.6 million off-grid households. In the first phase, 500,000 households will receive solar home systems consisting of 100-watt panels, three LED lights, one fan, and six hours of battery storage.
This initiative complements the World Bank-funded Sindh Solar Energy Project, which aims to provide solar home systems to 200,000 households in electricity-deficient areas of the province. Procurement has begun, with the first batch of 50,000 systems expected in Karachi by mid-October this year.
Sindh’s Energy and Planning & Development Minister, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, emphasized that providing free and affordable electricity was a cornerstone of the new provincial budget. He directed the provincial electricity distribution companies not to disconnect low-income consumers for non-payment and to waive outstanding dues for these disadvantaged groups.
Sindh’s Senior Information Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, informed reporters that the proposed solar power project in the new provincial budget would bring electricity to several off-grid villages in the province.

Gwadar will become a world-class port city, says Ahsan Iqbal

on 11/06/2024

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal said that Gwadar will become an internationally acclaimed world-class port city that will have tremendous opportunities for its people.
“We hope that Gwadar will become an internationally acclaimed world-class port city, which will have tremendous opportunities for its people,” he told Xinhua while applauding the development of Gwadar Port under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Terming Gwadar very important and strategic port in this region, he said that China had shown its remarkable contributions and the development of different regions of Pakistan including Gwadar under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
“In Gwadar, we have seen that China has not only developed the port facility but also has contributed towards the socio-economic development of the people,” he added.
Ahsan Iqbal said that China has set up a state-of-the-art hospital for the people of Gwadar who have as good facilities in that hospital as big cities like Karachi or Lahore.
Similarly, it has helped set up a technical training institution. It has also helped poor people with solar panels to provide them with electricity and has also undertaken other initiatives to improve the lives of the local people.
“So, we really appreciate that China has contributed immensely to the uplift of Gwadar, but it is just the first step other port has a long way to go,” he added.
He remarked that in partnership with Gwadar and China, we hope that Gwadar will become an internationally acclaimed world-class port city that will have tremendous opportunities for its people.
Ahsan Iqbal pointed out that China had also given scholarships to the youth of Gwadar who are studying in Chinese universities. “So, I think China’s contribution and Gwadar have been very valuable and uplifting the lives of people and regions and we appreciate it very much.
The minister also appreciated that China is sharing its success, not just with Pakistan, but with other countries also, to help them improve their infrastructure to help them improve their socio-economic development.
Launched in 2013, the CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Kashgar in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while the new phase expands to the fields such as agriculture and livelihood, among others.

ADB to fund $180 m for forests, drains in coastal Sindh

on 11/06/2024

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced a $180 million project to restore forests, drains, and roads in the coastal areas of Sindh. According to the Sindh Ministry of Irrigation and Food, the project aims to protect the coastal areas, provide employment opportunities for the local population, and ensure sustainable economic development.
The project was announced during a meeting between the Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Food, Jam Khan Shoro, and a delegation from the ADB, led by Team Leader Dr David Freuilich.
“The ADB is committed to supporting Pakistan in addressing environmental pollution, promoting food security, agricultural development, and cultural heritage preservation,” said Dr Freuilich.
The project will focus on restoring drains, roads, and forests in the coastal areas of Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin, which have been severely affected by recent rains and floods. “A survey, design, and mapping of the Indus Delta in Badin, Thatta, and Sujawal will be conducted before the project begins,” said Minister Jam Khan Shoro.
The minister also suggested increasing the capacity of the Karo Gondro drain and including the Shakoor drain in the project. The ADB’s $180 million loan will be used to fund the project, which is expected to have a significant impact on the local economy and environment.

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Revolutionizing Healthcare Data Analysis

on 11/06/2024

Healthcare data analysis is being revolutionized by the sciences of computational biology and bioinformatics. By combining physiological, computational, and statistical methods, these interdisciplinary fields enable researchers to glean valuable insights from large datasets and advance our understanding of intricate biological processes and illnesses. Bioinformatics and computational biology are vital to the processing, analysis, and interpretation of the vast volumes of biological data generated by the advances in proteomics, genome sequencing, and other high-throughput technologies. Bioinformatics relies heavily on the study of genomic data, and projects such as the Human Genome Project have made it possible to decode the whole human genome. Genetic implications to disease and health can be better understood by using computational tools to identify genes, regulatory elements, and variants in the genome. Applications of this genetic data analysis exist in personalized medicine, where customized therapies based on patient genetic profiles are possible. The goal of structural bioinformatics is to comprehend biological macromolecules like proteins and nucleic acids and their three-dimensional structures. These structures can be predicted and modeled using computational tools and algorithms, which reveal information about possible therapeutic targets, drug-binding sites, and molecular interactions. Because it helps in the design of molecules that can control particular biological processes, this structural knowledge is essential for drug discovery.
The study of functional genomics focuses on the functions and relationships between genes in biological systems. In functional genomics, computational techniques are used to examine metabolic pathways, gene expression patterns, and protein-protein interactions. Through the complete approach, illness mechanisms and possible therapeutic approaches are illuminated, as well as the activities of genes and their involvement in numerous cellular processes are deciphered. Within the field of bioinformatics, pharmacogenomics is the study of how a person’s genetic makeup affects how they react to medications. Pharmacogenomic data can be computationally analyzed to identify genetic markers linked to adverse responses and drug efficacy. The goals of this tailored approach to medication prescription are to improve overall patient care, minimize adverse effects, and maximize treatment success. Within bioinformatics, the field of metagenomics examines the genetic makeup of whole microbial ecosystems. Metagenomic data from clinical specimens, human microbiomes, and environmental materials are analyzed using computational methods. Research on the effects of the microbiome on health and illness is influenced by this approach, which sheds light on the variety and function of microbe communities. The field of cancer genomics relies heavily on bioinformatics to help understand the genetic basis of cancer through computer analysis of substantial genomic data. Characterizing cancer subtypes, forecasting patient outcomes, and creating tailored therapeutics are made easier with the discovery of somatic variants, gene expression structures, and molecular markers. Finding possible biomarkers for earlier detection of cancer is another benefit of using bioinformatics techniques. In order to comprehend patterns of gene expression, RNA molecules are analyzed in transcriptomics, a computational analysis of an organism’s transcriptome. Transcriptomics computational techniques measure the amounts of gene expression, detect alternative splicing processes, and uncover the roles of non-coding RNA. By illuminating the molecular complexities of biological processes and illnesses, this data directs research toward possible therapeutic approaches. Integrating multi-omics data—genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, for example—is a sophisticated but effective bioinformatics technique. Through the discovery of connections between various molecular layers, computational techniques for data integration provide a comprehensive understanding of biological systems. Comprehensive biomarker patterns for prognosis and diagnostics can be found more easily thanks to this integrative analysis, which also improves the identification of illness causes. Computational models are used in network biology to describe and study intricate biological networks, such as metabolic pathways, gene regulatory networks, and networks of interactions between proteins. The interactions and relationships between biological elements are revealed using computational approaches in network biology, offering a systems-level perspective. This method helps to clarify the emergent features of biological structures and how they relate to health and illness. Bioinformatics and biological computation now rely heavily on artificial intelligence and machine learning. These sophisticated computational methods find trends in large, complicated datasets and forecast them. Utilizing genetic and clinical data, machine learning applications span from protein structure prediction to illness diagnosis. Artificial intelligence is included to improve data analysis in healthcare studies in terms of accuracy and efficiency.
It is therefore crucial to ensure that computational methods are widely accessible and used in healthcare research by democratizing access to bioinformatics tools and resources. In bioinformatics, reproducibility, knowledge sharing, and community-driven progress are made possible by open-source applications, databases, and collaborative platforms. The pursuit of utilizing computational biology to enhance healthcare results is encouraged by this inclusiveness.