The Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and the World Wide Fund (WWF) will conduct joint research in green business projects for climate change, tree planting, better cotton production and organic farming. Both, the Agriculture University and WWF have agreed on future cooperation for action research and development and to coordinate project activities in Sindh, the university spokesman informed here on Monday adding that the Regional Head WWF Pakistan Tahir Rasheed and Programme Coordinator Altaf Shaikh visited Sindh Agriculture University and discussed various issues in a meeting with the Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri and heads of various academic and administrative departments of the varsity. They also briefed about WWF plans regarding climate change, tree plantation better cotton initiative, integrated organic farming and future collaboration for action research and development to synergize the project activities in Sindh. The Vice Chancellor highlighted the research priorities areas in agricultural education extension, indigo conservation, rangeland and wetland management as well as opportunities for investment for green loans to develop industry-academia linkages. He said that the joint venture research project and fundraising proposals would attract the global market for agricultural development in Sindh Pakistan. He suggested that salt and drought-tolerant varieties of fruit trees can be focused to cope with water logging and salinity challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic is the result of human intervention with nature; he said and added, we have to educate student cadre and communities to protect nature to avoid problems, like Covid-19, which has shaken the world. The Regional Head WWF Pakistan appreciated the efforts of the Vice Chancellor and said that WWF was working on environment conservation, forest, wildlife, alternative energy, oceans and focusing on green business and joint venture projects with universities for action research. The efforts would ultimately helpful for economic goods through commercialization, he said and added that the WWF Pakistan was also supporting the business model through green loans and SAU faculty, researchers and students will be involved in joint research programmes. He informed that WWF will also support Sindh Agriculture University for nursery development and will also plant trees in various locations at the university and its sub-campus and colleges at Umerkot, Dokri and Khairpur respectively. He said that WWF will sign the MoU with Sindh Agriculture University for land development, tree plantation as well as providing technical support. Simultaneously the university faculty and students will be involved in research and internship programmes, he added. The Director University Advancement and Financial Assistance Sindh Agriculture University Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar said that the university and WWF could work together through a green climate fund for organic products to alleviate poverty and reduce malnutrition. He said that local species of plants and trees may be promoted and farmers’ capacity can be built to adopt indigenous trees at their farms. The Chairman Department of Soil Sciences Prof. Dr. Inayatullah Rajper said that bio-saline agriculture should focus to improve the coastal land adding that the department of soil sciences has developed salt-tolerant trees and focused on land resource management and adaption of bio-saline agriculture at the grass-root level. He informed that the department was also working in utilizing banana waste in fibre, pulp, compost, and liquid fertilizer and the students are involved in their research activities at the field level for the preparation of the bio-fertilizer. The Coordinator WWF Pakistan Altaf Shaikh informed that the organisation was creating awareness among the communities regarding sustainable natural resource management. He said that joint venture programmes through research priorities areas in agricultural education would be helpful for the quality and monitoring of programmes and training of the farming community.