The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for everyone.
Committed to the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goal, Iqra University is making its mark by embedding SDGs within our governance, teaching, community initiatives, research and partnerships. Following programmes and events are led by IU Faculty, Staff and Students in the area of Goal 4: Quality Education.
Playing our part in conserving Land Ecosystem
Predominantly an agricultural country, with 70% GDP reliance over it, our Land ecosystem is integral to the country’s prosperity and economic development. However, poor waste management systems and deteriorating socio-political framework has resulted in worsened land conditions. In addition to natural disasters prominently floods, heat waves, and epidemics have further collapsed the ecosystem. As part of our overall strategic vision for the environment sustainability, we have made a specific effort to widen our scope of work towards maintaining and protecting lands to further our initiatives to rural areas of Pakistan.
Lush Green Campuses
Our campuses are composed of 70% open, green areas with lush greenery inhabited by numerous kinds of flora & fauna. The university has also established a farmhouse in Karachi measuring 197,774.39 m2, the farmhouse is dedicated for plantation and vegetation as well as local conservation of different breeds of animals. The farmhouse is accessible to all our students and staff members via an online request system.
Awaz-e-Bezuban (Voice of Voiceless)
The disheartening demolishment of 150 Pet Shops in Karachi’s Empress Market in 2019 and the sudden rise in mass dog culling, a group of Iqra University students came forward with the hope of bringing change and to bridge the awareness and knowledge gaps between the government and the society, as well as to raise our voice against the increasing animal abuse cases in Pakistan. The initiative has conducted several awareness sessions in schools and colleges to educate them in treating & managing stray animals and break them out of their fear & hatred for them. The initiative also housed at-risk animals and conducted a campaign for TNVR to control the growth of feral and stray animals.
Freedom Plantation Drive
The biggest challenge in maintaining and restoring our land ecosystem is deforestation, the lack of trees and vegetation has resulted in increased temperatures and worst air quality, major metropolitan cities of Pakistan are feeling it hard to breathe. Keeping this in mind, we have started the “Freedom Plantation Drive” on all of its campuses in collaboration with provincial and federal governments for numerous plantation projects and campaigns, a couple of which were the “Sarsabz Sindh Project” and the “Billion Tree Tsunami”. Last year the University aimed for planting a MILLION trees by the end of 2021 and we have successfully achieved our mission.
Community Initiatives for Better Waste Management Practices
As part of our course Ethics & Social Responsibility, we have organised various year long cleaning drives, in collaboration with local district councils, where the students & faculty members regularly visit public & recreational spaces to spent hours picking up debris and waste, sweeping it clean and educate the local masses of conscious purchasing and responsible waste disposal.
