Jasia Khan
Graduate in English Literature from University of Sindh / a CSS aspirant
Pakistan has been facing severe water insecurity over the past years. Now, the situation has exacerbated as not only rural but also urban regions are witnessing water scarcity. According to Danyal Khan, the sustainable development specialist, almost 43% of the urban population does not have access to fresh drinkable water.
Climate change layered with the mismanagement of resources are considered to be the root causes behind extreme water crisis in the country. To illustrate, increasing temperatures and unpredictable precipitation patterns have led to condensed snowmelt in the Himalayas, which affects river flows.
This is the reason why the Indus River, crucial for agriculture, is experiencing reduced flow rates. Moreover, old-fashioned irrigation practices and dearth of modern technology, mostly results in high water depletion. It has been estimated by the experts that approximately 40% of water is lost due to leaks and inefficiencies in the canal system.
Other substantial explanations for water shortage are: rapid urbanization and skyrocketing population that increase the demands; groundwater depletion which is affecting agriculture, and swelling pollution, in the form of industrial discharge and untreated sewage, which contaminate pure water. All these factors decrease the amount of clean drinking water and poses a non-traditional threat to the inhabitants.
40 Years of Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Cooperation – High Commissioner Launches Bus Art Depicting Ways to Save Water and Improve Food Security
“Pakistan does not lack in resources but in management” (Ishrat Hussain)
Since the acute water crisis is approaching the country, it is mandatory to bring thoughts into actions and alleviate it, before it is too late.
Firstly, the state should prioritize the construction of dams to increase the storage capacity to hold more water. The country has 143 storage reservoirs with the capacity of 18 MAF (million acre feet), which is hardly enough to hold water for 30 days.
Furthermore, strict tax on over-consumption of water should be imposed as a rigid measure, along with awareness campaigns for careful usage of water. Additionally, modern technique such as “desalination” should be practiced, to overcome water crisis; multiple countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United States and China have deployed desalination plants to fulfill their water needs.
Thus, Pakistan can learn lessons from these nations and embrace innovation and technology to reduce to such threatening challenge. To conclude, water scarcity, as local and national level, must be addressed and eliminated.
Pakistan in the World – April / May 2024
