Prof Daanish from King’s College London Delivers a Talk on “Decolonizing Water? Understanding Pakistan Floods 2022 as Part of the Colonial Present.”

An invited lecture titled: “Decolonizing Water? Understanding Pakistan Floods 2022 as Part of the Colonial Present” was delivered by Dr. Daanish Mustafa. Professor of Critical Geography and Environment, Kings College London, at University of Central Punjab on 28th December, 2022. The event was organized by Voltaire Society and Department of Political Science and International Relations under the auspices of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The key objective of this event was to enlighten the students with the colonial present of the water and describing it’s decolonial dimensions, particularly in the case of Pakistan Floods 2022, while expounding the role of local community in water management. Dr. Mustafa started by explaining the reality of water in all its dimensions while highlighting the negotiable relation of water with humanity. Following, he explained the mindset of the locals regarding the reality of water. Afterwards, he exclaimed how colonial thinking has undermined our cultural heritage and associated experiences. He also explained how colonial present has been one of the major reasons for the devastation caused in Pakistan. Lastly, he suggested through his ethnographic research that decolonial thinking can help solve the problems of Pakistan and that we should envision a healthier world powered by independent thinking.
The discussion was followed by Q & A session where both students and faculty members asked thought provoking questions which were appreciated and diligently answered by Dr. Mustafa. At the end, the Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Khalid Manzoor Butt concluded the session with his encouraging remarks and thanked the distinguished guest by presenting him with a souvenir.