Like many professors, Karim-Aly Kassam will be spending the summer months away from campus, immersing himself in research. But Dr. Kassam won't be enjoying the air conditioned solitude of a library or warm glow of his computer screen as he gathers data for his new project. Instead, he'll be travelling to one of the most remote parts of Central Asia - the mountainous Badakshan region of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
The region is one that's gaining increasing attention in the media, thanks in large part to the Canadian military presence in Afghanistan.

But as many attest, there's much more to the rebuilding efforts in the area.

Image © EC/ECHO/Sebastien Carliez

In a speech to women leaders in New York last September, Dr. Massouda Jalal -  Minister of Women's Affairs in the Afghani government - embraced the changing course of her country, stating "the reinstitution of the rule of law, and the influx of numerous economic, social and political opportunities have ignited a fresh surge of optimism among our people. A great majority started rebuilding their lives, embraced peace, and pinned their hope to a better tomorrow".

Dr. Kassam's work takes to heart some of the greatest challenges facing Badakshan's residents, and charges that a sustained presence in the region is crucial to overcome the fragile state of food security.  His trip to Central Asia will be crucial both in assessing the state of biocultural diversity - the complex sets of relationships between people and their physical and natural environments - and in developing ways to preserve it.  The project has already received seed funding from both the Christensen Fund and  University of Calgary Research Services.  Working with his team of research assistants, Kassam aims to apply for larger funding envelopes to support a multi-year collaborative research project. 

Last Updated ( Monday, 05 June 2006 )