Severe water scarcity looms large over Pakistan as it is only a few years away from droughts, in the case of some experts, absolute water scarcity by 2025. Pakistan’s population is increasing, as well as poor irrigation techniques, climate change and other factors have put the country’s water resources in severe danger, and the cost will be catastrophic if intervention is not made immediately.
Moreover, as the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) admits, per capita water availability has decreased from 5260 cubic meters in 1951 to less than 1000 today, which is disturbing considering that the UN water scarcity per capita figure of 1000 cubic meters is even breached. The Indus water system, which is responsible for 90% of the country’s water resources, has become increasingly overexploited and mismanaged, especially in the agricultural sector which is responsible for 93% of Pakistan’s water use.
Pakistan’s agriculture sector, a vital component of its economy, is one of the biggest contributors to the water crisis. The country’s agriculture sector also comes to the forefront when it comes to water crises. This is due to the use of water-wasting traditional flood irrigation methods. A World Bank report also indicates that up to 50 per cent of water meant for irrigation is not utilized effectively. The government has been asked to install modern systems like drip irrigation which could reduce water usage by 30-70% and significantly improve crop yields
Pakistan’s agriculture sector, a vital component of its economy, is one of the biggest contributors to the water crisis.
The water storage capacity is also the tiniest in Pakistan. The country can store only 30 days’ requirements worth of water, which international water storage capacity recommends a minimum of 120 days. Some large projects like the Diamer-Bhasha Dam are in progress to contain this problem. The dam when finished is forecasted to enhance storage by 6.4 million acre-feet (MAF) and to yield 4500MW of power. Nevertheless, they also argue that there is an emergent need for additional storage schemes to cater for long-term demands.
Pakistan is heavily affected by climate change water issues, with the rise of temperature and weather travelling patterns leading to more droughts. The World Resources Institution however argues that Pakistan is among the most water-stressed countries being the 14th, and glaciers that give birth to the Indus rivers are sadly melting at an increased rate, which is dangerous for available water in the future. For places like the Sindh and Balochistan provinces that already suffer a drought, the situation has been devastating and crops have therefore failed hence forcing the farmers into poverty.
Water governance in the country of Pakistan must improve to avoid a contemplation catastrophe. It has been suggested by the experts that capital pricing water especially in the agricultural sector may be adopted as an element of efficiency.
It is also important to impose strict regulations on groundwater extraction, as excess has led to worrying levels of groundwater depletion. Furthermore, raising awareness and conducting public campaigns on water conservation can help mitigate the problem. The government has adopted partial measures absolutely to teach the people water-saving methods but more comprehensive measures are required to embed water-saving practices into the nation as a whole.
The water crisis in Pakistan is now an armageddon waiting to happen and the actions that will be taken in the short term will probably not be effective in the longer term. There are ways out of the crisis through operating on appropriate agricultural practices, expanding the water storage capacity, and enhancing the water management within the country. For the good future of water resources in Pakistan, coordination between the government, business and community is necessary.
The writer is a freelance columnist.