Roadmap to be prepared for implementation of Water Policy: Ali Zafar
He pointed out that dams and artificial recharge of aquifers are urgently needed
ISLAMABAD (APP) – Federal Minister for Water Resources Barrister Syed Ali Zafar Wednesday said that it was right time to draft guidelines for an implementation plan of the national water policy considering the prevalent conditions of water scarcity in the country.
Addressing the first meeting of the National Water Task Force, the minister advised all the experts to come up with their well-prepared suggestions to draw a roadmap with the purpose to better address country’s valuable water issues, within the guidance of National Water Policy.
This consultative meeting was jointly organized by the Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Flood Commission in collaboration with UNESCO, here Wednesday which aimed to draft roadmap for implementation of National Water Policy, which was approved by Council of Common Interests (CCI) earlier this year, in order to facilitate early implementation of the National Water Policy.
Chair of the National Task Force on Water Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Director, UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, presented key points of the draft roadmap to the minister.
He pointed out that dams and artificial recharge of aquifers are urgently needed but increased water storage capacity of Pakistan cannot solve the problem alone.
There must be a focus on improved governance, trans-boundary data availability and more extensive water losses analysis is needed to confirm seasonal water loss, availability and requirements on provincial basis.
He presented a three pillar 10-year Draft Plan for a Water Secure Pakistan. Those three pillars include water infrastructure (dams and artificial recharge of aquifers), governance according to 21st century water management standards and technology for water resilience and water efficiency.
The minister has issued directions to constitute a high-level National Task Force to prepare roadmap for water secure Pakistan as the country has become a water stressed state, as per capita annual water availability dropped from 5,260 cubic meters in 1947 to less than 1,000 cubic meters in 2018.
This consultation meeting was attended by high level officials of water sector government departments and academia having vast experience in water sector.
