National Conference on
EARTH SCIENCES PAKISTAN 2010: NEW DEVELOPMENTS
September 20-22, 2010.
At
Baragali Summer Campus, University of Peshawar.
Jointly organized by
Department and National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar.

INAUGURATION CEREMONY: (20/09/2010)
11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Organizations represented
A range of educational and non educational institutions of the country were represented by their students/employees in the conference, which included:

1. National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar
2. Department of Geology, University of Peshawar
3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar
4. Department of Geography, University of Peshawar
5. Department of Civil Engineering, UET Peshawar
6. Department of Mining Engineering, UET Peshawar
7. COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad
8. Global Change Impact Studies Centre, QAU, Islamabad
9. National Engineering Services Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited (NESPAK)
10. Institute of Geology, University of AJK, Muzaffarabad
11. Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Islamabad
12. NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi
13. Geological Survey of Pakistan
14. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Govt. of Pakistan, Islamabad
15. Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, Islamabad
16. FATA Development Authority
17. Directorate General, Mines & Minerals, Govt. of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar
18. Institute of Geology, University of Punjab, Lahore
19. Lahore Electric Supply Company Limited, WAPDA
20. Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad
21. Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad
22. Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Islamabad
23. Centre of Excellence in Mineralogy, University of Baluchistan, Quetta
24. Centre for Pure and Applied Geology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro
25. National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), Islamabad
26. Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, Pakistan (AKPBS,P)
27. Department of Earth Sciences, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad
28. LMK Resources, Islamabad
29. Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Islamabad
30. Directorate of Seismic Studies, WAPDA, Tarbela
31. Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Karachi
32. Pakistan Meteorological Department, Islamabad

Conference themes:
The conference covered all aspects of earth sciences with particular emphasis on the following;
Himalayan Tectonics
India-Eurasia and Afghan-India Collision: mechanics and chronology, role of transpressional tectonics, High Pressure vs High Temperature metamorphism, Subduction-related magamatism ,stragic minerals.
Economic Mineral Deposits
Exploration, Genesis, Processing and Beneficiation, Gemology, Dimension Stones, Construction Material.
Deposition Systems & Petroleum Exploration
Play concepts in Pakistan foreland basins, Sequence stratigraphy and Basin analyses, Seismic interpretation and petrophysics.
Environmental Geosciences
Environmental toxicology and Assessment, Medical Geology, Climate change, New trends in Geotechnical Engineering, Recent Advances in Environmental Sciences, Surface- and Groundwater Contamination, Waste Disposal.
Natural Hazards Earthquake Seismology, Engineering Seismology, Earthquake Engineering, Neotectonics, Tectonics Geomorphology, Paleoseismology, Mass Movements of Landslides, Debris Flow, Avalanches, Flash Floods, GLOF, Landslides Dam Outburst Floods.
Risk Assessment, Disaster Management and Mitigation
Preparedness Plans, Hazard Assessment, Vulnerability, Capacity and Risk Assessment, Preparedness Planning, Emergency Response.
Water
Resources, Management, Quality, Quantity, Effects of Global Weather Changes, Water Hazards, Monitoring, Water Politics, Emerging Issues, Future Projections and Strategies.
Boarding and Lodging
Organizing this conference at Baragali was a big challenge for the organizers. Chief organizer and his team worked really hard to provide quality services in a mountainous region of Baragali to all the Participants and their families. Including the participants’ families and support staff, a total of about 180 persons were accommodated in the housing available at Baragali campus. Some of the above mentioned guests were provided accommodation at Nathiagali in a Hotel and WAPDA guesthouse. Transport facilities were provided to almost all the participants from Peshawar, Abbottabad and Islamabad to Baragali. Pick and drop services were provided to the participants residing in Nathiagali Hotel/Guesthouse. Participants were also given daily trips to Nathiagali bazar in the evening.
Refreshments and meals were arranged by the Organizing Committee starting from the September 19 evening through September 22, 2010.
Brief of Sessions
The first session was dedicated to organizational talks. Where representatives of various organizations briefed the participants about the work their respective organizations are carrying out. This session was followed by seven technical sessions, each carrying a specific theme. A total of 75 presentations were made by scholars from all over Pakistan during the sessions. Papers were thoroughly discussed and suggestions were made by the participants. The technical sessions not only brought up some important problems that the country is facing but also a number of interesting new developments in the field of Earth Sciences in Pakistan.
Recommendations / Outcomes
Following recommendations were made during/at the end of conference;

1. Professor Dr. M. Asif Khan introduced an idea of establishing “Society of Earth Scientists and Engineers, Pakistan (SEEP)” which may provide helping hand to the government in planning.
2. There should be working groups of researchers from all over the Pakistan, in different areas of research in order to get good and quality results.
3. Dr. Imdad Ali Brohi suggested standardizing the Staratigraphic Formation Names throughout Pakistan. He stressed that a committee should be made for nationalizing the stratigraphic nomenclature.
4. During inauguration ceremony, Engineer M. Qasim Khan-Member Power WAPDA, highlighted that recommendations of this conference should be sent to all concerned institutions so that they may take necessary action upon these recommendations.
5. A detailed recommendation is under preparation for circulation to relevant authorities in the country.

Closing Ceremony
Closing ceremony was held at the end of the conference in which souvenirs were given to the presenting authors by Dr. M. Qasim Jan, Dr. M. Asif Khan, Dr. M. Tahir Shah and Prof. M. Haneef.
Conveners:
Dr. M. Asif KhanT.I.
Professor  & Director, NCE in Geology, University of Peshawar
Prof. M. Haneef
Chairman, Department of Geology, University of Peshawar
Dr. M. Qasim Jan T.I., S.I., H.I.
Professor Emeritus, NCE in Geology, University of Peshawar
Chief Organizer:
Dr. M. Tahir Shah 
Professor, NCE in Geology, University of Peshawar