Daily Times

Water is the most precious resource for the existence and survival of the human race as well as other flora and fauna. Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water but some 90 per cent is saltwater and unfit for consumption. Only two per cent is freshwater that can be consumed. Water resources on earth are useful for humans for various activities. Some of the freshwater sources are groundwater, surface water, frozen water and water obtained from desalination.

Groundwater is the freshwater that is present on the surface of the soil and in rocks. Water flowing below the water table is also considered groundwater. Groundwater seeps into the ground through surface water and is commonly used for agriculture and household purposes.

Surface water is the water in lakes, rivers and oceans. The quantities of these water bodies increase through rains and decrease through evaporation, climate change and human activities. Frozen water is the water in glaciers and icebergs. Though this is considered freshwater, it cannot be utilised directly and must go through a melting process, after which it flows into rivers. Desalination is a conversion of salty seawater into freshwater. Distillation and reverse osmosis are two other processes by which desalination is undertaken. Surface water is water in a river, lake or freshwater wetland. It is naturally replenished by precipitation and lost through discharge to the oceans.

The current human population of the earth is estimated to be around seven billion. The earth’s total resources are only enough for two billion people. Due to the way people live, the earth is facing a fast rate of water depletion. This depletion is more serious than oil depletion. There may be substitutes for oil, but nothing can replace water.

More than 70 per cent of the earth’s fresh water is used in agriculture, 20 per cent in industry and only 10 per cent is for human consumption. What adds to water shortage is its increased use in irrigation and other agricultural requirements, seepage in the soil and rising temperatures. Shortage of water leads to food shortage and famines.

In all human societies, water is used for cooking, growing, sustaining the industry, maintaining health and recreational purposes. The human being’s daily existence relies on water. Yet, as the global population rises and the consumption of water increases, water resources are depleting. It is estimated that by 2025, some 1.8 billion people around the world will live in conditions of extreme water scarcity.

Pakistan is one of the 30 countries in the world that face acute water deficiency, and this is likely to increase in the coming decades. More than 80 per cent of Pakistan lies in arid and semi-arid zones, characterized by highly erratic, unpredictable and low precipitation, excessive evaporation and high summer temperatures. Coupled with uneven river flows, this climatic vagrancy has placed Pakistan in a critical water supply environment. This situation of drought and water crisis is likely to persist for many years. In the years when rainfall is normal or above average, the country will generally not face water shortage but in other years it will. The years of prolonged drought cannot be controlled but gross negligence and mismanagement of water resources can be regulated.

Nearly a quarter of the world’s population lives in 17 countries facing high water stress. These could become ‘day zero’ conditions when the taps run dry. The adverse effect of water shortage on Pakistan’s agriculture will have a spiralling effect on the level of poverty in the country. Less water means less agricultural yields. Import of food commodities will lead to higher expenditures. Raising livestock is the main source of livelihood for Pakistan’s rural areas. It is also an important economic activity, which contributes over 9 per cent to the GDP.

Pakistan is one of the 30 countries in the world that face acute water deficiency, and this is likely to increase in the coming decades

Due to a decrease in the production of main crops such as wheat, cotton, sugarcane and rice, the industries related to these crops are likely to suffer adversely. Pakistan’s fruit exports earn good foreign exchange, and water shortage will affect these drastically. Because of drought and more dependence on groundwater for irrigation, the water table is going down and this is causing constraints for the population. Fewer opportunities for agriculture-related employment are compelling the rural population to head for urban areas for jobs, and this is further aggravating the unemployment problem.

By 2025 Pakistan will reach a level of absolute water scarcity and this wouldn’t only hit the deserts of the south but the north as well, which has snow-covered mountains and more than 5,000 glaciers. The situation is further expected to worsen by 2040 when Pakistan might become the most water-stressed country in the region.

Global studies rank Pakistan at number four among the most water-consuming countries. Being an agriculture-dependent country, Pakistan hugely relies on its canal network. All major metropolitan cities of Pakistan have the least availability of drinkable water. Old water supply lines in most urban areas are rusty and cracked, allowing sewerage water to seep into drinking water. There is also a lack of awareness among the people about the water crisis.

Precious water can be saved through very simple steps. Some six litres of water per minute can be saved if the tap is turned off while brushing teeth. Every minute spent under the shower uses up to 17 litres of water so the shorter the shower, the better. In an average house, the toilet is flushed 5,000 times per year. Modern dual-flush systems save huge amounts of water. If leaking taps are fixed, hundreds of litres of water can be stopped from going down the drain. Kitchen pipes should also be checked for leaks.

Food should be steamed to cut water usage. The same number of cups of water should be boiled for tea as needed. Instead of using ice cubes, a water jug should be kept in the fridge.

Outdoor plants should be watered in the early morning or at day-end. This stops water from evaporating in the sunlight. Washing a full machine load of clothes uses less water than two half-loads. Rainwater can be collected to water plants or wash the car. Running water should not be used to wash the floor as a bucket saves water.

It is interesting to note that to promote water conservancy, an MoU has also been signed between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited (BPPL).

According to a survey, a service station uses about 19,000 litres of water per day. The car service sector is said to have an enormous potential for conserving and re-using large volumes of water. Under the MoU, an initiative will be taken at car wash stations to save water as the UNDP has developed an indigenous and cost-effective Water Recycling Prototype which recycles 5,000 litres of water.

By 2025, Pakistan is expected to turn from a ‘water-stressed’ country into a ‘water-scarce’ country. Since it has only a 30-day water storage capacity while its water shortage is 106 million gallons per day, water conservation initiatives must be launched on an immediate basis.

The writer is a freelance columnist and PR practitioner