Water, water everywhere, not anymore!
Pakistan is going to be a water scarce country within next three years.
Dunya News Report (Madiha Fareed)
In the midst of all political frenzy and the unending plague of terrorism, a horrific issue that awaits the Pakistani nation is been criminally ignored by the government and the mainstream media. Pakistan is fast approaching a water crisis within next three years as the water reservoirs of the country are shrinking at an alarming pace.
Recently Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) director warned that Pakistan will face water scarcity within next three years as the water available per capita has decreased to 1068 cubic meters in 2013 from 5,000 cubic meters (m3) in 1950. Pakistan is fast approaching the global water scarcity threshold which is 1,000 m3.
According to United Nations population Fund (UNFPA), Pakistan was already a water-scarce country in 1992 by international standards at 1700 cubic meters available per capita. Pakistan has been categorized among 36 water-stressed countries by the World Bank.
Recently a report released by UK-based agency “WaterAid” on the eve of World Water Day revealed that Pakistan is among the top 10 countries with the greatest number of people living without access to safe water. The report mentions that “Around 16 million people in Pakistan do not have access to clean drinking water; they have no choice but to collect water form unsafe sources”. The report also mentions that 22,000 children die every year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation in Pakistan.
Pakistan is also among the top ten countries most affected by climate change as evident by the fact that almost every year many parts of the country are hit by the worst floods that cause looses of billions and kill hundreds of people. While in some parts of the country specifically interior Sindh the droughts caused by the climatic conditions and poor-management of resources kill hundreds particularly children.
The Pakistani government and people have taken the vast resources of water totally for granted as Pakistan has the world’s fourth highest rate of water consumption in cubic meters. Pakistan depends heavily on annual glacier melts and monsoon rains for agricultural use.
Last Year, IMF published a report titled “Is the glass Empty or half Full?” urged Pakistani authorities to focus on demand-side measures that promote conservation and control of excessive groundwater exploitation. The study used Pakistan as a “bad example , that despite Pakistan being a water-abundant country is on the threshold of being a water-scarce country, The report also pointed out to the outdated and costly canal system, which manages to collect only one-quarter of annual operating and maintenance costs.
It notes that canal water in Pakistan is vastly underpriced, recovering only one-quarter of annual operating and maintenance costs. Meanwhile, agriculture, which consumes almost all annual available surface water, is largely untaxed. “The combination of these policies leads to overuse of water,” it warns.
While Pakistan has the necessary natural endowment and the world’s most extensive irrigation system, harnessing these assets requires a paradigm shift in water policy and management in a context that would emphasize demand-side measures that promote conservation and control of excessive groundwater exploitation. The thrust of reforms needs to be on improving water-use efficiency in agriculture, which continues to dominate water consumption while escaping taxation at the federal level and bearing a light tax burden at the provincial level. Such reforms would require greater engagement of stakeholders at the local level in water management and capacity building of water management institutions, as well as reforming agriculture taxation systems in the provinces. The nexus between water and electricity is the other area calling for reform of water and electricity subsidies.
Water is essential for sustenance of life in all forms and fresh water is a finite resource, progressively becoming more scarce due to persistent increases in its competing demands. It is important to ensure water security for the people through a national water policy laying down the outlines of an integrated water management strategy that aims at maximizing the sustainable economic, social and environmental returns on the water resource development, allocation among its competing demands, its use by consumers and safe disposal of post-use effluents.
It is essential that the people in power corridors realize the fierce urgency of the matter. A national-level plan is needed to save the water and raise awareness on the pressing issue of water scarcity. The Pakistani media actually need to lobby for the matter of real substance instead of sensationalizing the non-issues.
