Water experts have predict the threatening challenges of increasing water scarcity globally in future and urged upon communities, residing in rural and urban areas, to use water sustainably to conserve it for coming generations.
They were speaking at the event to observe World Water Day 2019 with the current year theme “Leaving no one behind, water for all,” in the premises of the office of Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA).
The programme was organised by Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) in collaboration with Oxfam Pakistan. A large number of women, hailing from three districts Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan and Hyderabad participated in the event. These community people of all three districts depend on perennial Akram Canal, which presently is not taking water share as per its share of 4100 cusecs, causing uncertainty among needy people.
Oxfam project coordinator Shahid Khan, hailing from Islamabad, talked about the status of water in Pakistan, linking it with human life, agriculture, livestock and overall ecosystem, saying that there may be more shortage of water in future, thus community should use it sustainably to avoid any crisis in coming days.
He said only community people, farmers and herders can realise the water scarcity in their villages. He urged upon collaborative efforts to deal with the issue and make efforts to manage it at every level. There are many institutions, which are working for water management, and sustainable use of water.
Objective of this project was to work with communities, especially women and marginalized people, who depend on agriculture and need water.
“We want to ensure participation of community women. We have to take up the issue at policy level,” he said. He accredits PPP-led provincial government, which is making efforts to pass bill to ensure participation of women in Area Water Board, Watercourses Association and Farmers Organisations (FOS), which presently are male-dominated and there is no role of women in these major bodies.
Muhammad Ali Nizamani, a researcher associated with Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), who conducted fresh study on Akram Canal command area, shared findings to show water governance, supply and demand, perception of farmers and gender empowerment. He realised that “water scarcity issue exists and we have to resolve it together”.
Participants put emphasis on collaborative efforts, water management and sustainable use of water resources
He said we have to adapt modern technology to manage water to increase crops productivity. There are some countries at global map, which do not have natural water resources but they are surviving through cultivating crops in their barren and desert lands. When these nations use barren and desert land for cultivation without availability of natural water sources, how we cannot use of our fertile land despite the fact we are blessed with these natural resources of water. There is need to enhance capacity of communities to manage water shortage, which is key to improve productivity, he added.
A peasant woman Nasreen Vighio from village Jaro Babar, Hyderabad district said they have lost fertile lands due to persistent water scarcity. There is discrimination with poor farmers by certain influential landlords, who deprive them of their water share and put them vulnerable to face hardships.
Zulfiqar Halepoto, a researcher, water advocate and expert said this is time that when entire global nations are concerned over water scarcity and depleting water resources, we in Pakistan’s Sindh province must to work together to face challenges. He said earlier it was realised that water was political agenda, in which parliamentarians always talked about it, but now all the people have taken responsibility with NGOs, UN agencies and working to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs).
SIDA Chairman Abdul Basit Soomro advised women participants to use water sustainably at domestic level because water is main source, which is under threat due to various reasons. He said underground water resources are shrinking fast.
He said SIDA has planned to arrange awareness sessions at village level to stop wastage of water at domestic level. Women can play role in this situation. He claims to have modernized water structure under (World Bank-funded) water sector improvement project (WSIP). Now we see that watercourses are flowing fast and reach tail end areas.
Talking about the recent crisis of water in Badin district and protests of people, the SIDA chairman said they have removed illegal pipes which are used for water theft. He said after complaints they have lodged FIRs against certain violators.
He attributed climate change, which has impacted badly on water resources. Pakistan is among the world nations, which are water stress countries. We have to leave traditional practices and should adapt modern ways to use water sustainably.
Pirbho Satiani, regional head of SPO Hyderabad, briefed about the coordination with stakeholders, including community women, who led the process in their briefed about the coordination with stakeholders, including community women.
Published in Daily Times, March 22nd 2019.
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