Water Crises in Pakistan, issues, implication and solution

Thesis statement:
Pakistan could "run dry" by 2025 as its water shortage is reaching an alarming level.
There are plenty of issues like: Intensive use of water, over population and deforestation
etc. making water crises more sensitive. National and International efforts are needed to
handle water shortage issue.
Outlines:
1. Introduction
A. Long standing problem
B. Systematic reforms remain elusive
2. Current state of water crises in Pakistan
A. IMF report
B. Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR)
3. Issues
A. Intensive use of water
i. Solution
B. Population growth and urbanization
i. solution
C. Climate change
i. Solution
D. Poor water management
i. solution
E. Lack of political will
i. solution
F. Lack of Dams to store glaciers and rain water
i. Solution
G. Deforestation
i. Solution
H. Water Politics
a. National level
b. International level
i. Solution
4. Implication
A. National Water Policy
B. MDGs and Pakistan & Vision 203o
C. Sanitation and water for all
D. Clean Drinking Water for all Project
5. Analysis of issues
A. Infrastructure
B. National and International policy crisis
6. Other possible solutions
 A. Invent new water conservation technologies
B. Recycle wastewater
C. Shrink corporate water footprints
Conclusions:
A. Water crises is a do or die situation in Pakistan
B. International water crises
C. Need to resolve this issue urgently
“When the well is dry, we know the wealth of water”

1. Introduction
“Water is life, and clean water means health”. (Audrey Hepburn)
Pakistan could face acute water shortage in near future. In the past, several steps were
taken like MDGs, National Water policy, clean water for all, vision 2025 and vision 2030
etc. But still there is a lack of systematic reforms and determination at public, National,
and International Level. Water is essential for life. We need to save it for the future
generation. This is one of the fatal issues which can not be kept unresolved.
2. Current Stage of Water Crises in Pakistan
In present, Pakistan is facing acute water shortage particularly in big cities.
According to the IMF, Pakistan's per capita annual water availability is 1,017 cubic
meters. Few decades ago, we can get water by drilling only 50 to 100 feet and were
able to get clean water easily. But today it is not possible now even drilling 500 feet
in some areas of big cities. The water level has decreased. Fortunately, if we find it
near the earth surface, it has contamination like arsenic and other metals.
A. IMF Report
According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan
ranks third in the world among countries facing acute water shortage. Researchers
predict that Pakistan is on its way to becoming the most water-stressed country in
the region by the year 2040.
B. Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR)
Reports by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Pakistan
Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) also warn the authorities that the
South Asian country will reach absolute water scarcity by 2025. In 2016, PCRWR
reported that Pakistan touched the "water stress line" in 1990 and crossed the "water
scarcity line" in 2005. Which means that if this situation persists, Pakistan is likely
to face an acute water shortage or a drought-like situation in the near future.
3. Issues
Following are the main possible reasons for Water Crisis in Pakistan:
 A. Intensive use of water

Pakistan has the world's fourth-highest rate of water use. Its water intensity rate
— the amount of water, in cubic meters, used per unit of GDP — is the world's
highest. This suggests that no country's economy is more water-intensive than
Pakistan's.
According to the IMF, Pakistan's per capita annual water availability is 1,017 cubic
meters — perilously close to the scarcity threshold of 1,000 cubic meters. Back in
2009, Pakistan's water availability was about 1,500 cubic meters.
“'You can't have a sustainable economy if it doesn't have enough water to
power it” (Kugelman)

i. Solution

We can conduct TV program and can use social media awareness campaigns like on
twitter, Facebook etc. by using # Tags like:

#"Using a bucket to save water while washing my car!

#SaveWater in our daily life!

#SaveWaterforPak

We can even organize indoor and outdoor activities in school, villages and cities and
on National and International Level.
B. Population Growth & urbanization
Experts say that population growth and urbanization are the main reasons behind the
crisis.
Increasing in the population leads to more consumption of water. The continuing increase
in population at an annual rate of over 2% combined with rapid and un-regulated urbanization
has pushed Pakistan into the category of water stressed countries.
i. Solution
It cannot be handled only by government; the general public should step forward by
considering the family planning a major progress to counter the situation.

C. Climate Change
The issue has also been exacerbated by climate change. Pakistan has witnessed a
number of floods in the past several years, and long spells of drought which, experts
believe, are a result of climate change. Expert says that climate change is also
responsible for changing rain pattern. The climate change will make matters worse in a
number of ways.
First as the total quantity of water is likely to decline, thus increasing the scarcity level.
Second, the water availability will become more erratic, thus increasing uncertainty and
seasonal stresses and strains. Third, the increased temperatures will reduce water
availability further because of higher evaporation rates while increasing crop water
requirements and other water demands.
i. Solution
We should grow more plants and vegetation. Afforestation is the only source which can
reduce the strain of hot weather. plants hold the land on surface and try to balance the
atmospheric heat by evaporation.
D. Poor Water Management
The chronic water shortage in big cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad highlights
poor governance and mismanagement. The country’s largest province, Balochistan, is
facing a severe drought and famine, with a catastrophic situation in the provincial
capital, Quetta, where there is a shortage of 20 million gallons of water daily, according
to the Quetta Water and Sanitation Authority. Government’s water filtration plants and
poor water management and lack of will is the main reason for this issue.

i. Solution
Active administration reforms are need to resolve poor water management system. The
government should make a record of the areas where water delivery is compulsory.
There is a need to focus on supply chain which is fast and workable.
E. Lack of Political will
It seems that government is unable to understand the chronic water crisis from a long
time. Nevertheless, several steps were taken and policies were made in the past. But we
need implication more than these steps. Each government before coming in power have
agenda to solve water crisis, but when they get the charge, they don’t even think of it.
Rather then resolving the issue, they started blame game.
i. Solution
This is only possible though Political will. Elected and non-elected members of the
parties should be well aware of the worst water situation. It should be a part of every
party’s agenda.
F. Lack of Dams to store glaciers and rain water
The Tarbela and Mangla dams, the country's two major water reservoirs, reached their
"dead" levels.
"We have only two big reservoirs and we can save water only for 30 days. India can
store water for 190 days whereas the US can do it for 900 days," Muhammad Khalid
Rana, a spokesman for the Indus River System Authority (IRSA)
Pakistan receives around 145-million-acre feet of water every year but can only save 13.7
million acre feet. Pakistan needs 40-million-acre feet of water but 29-million-acre feet of
our floodwater is wasted because we have few dams.
i. Solution
We need to construct more dams such as initiative taken by the government on Diamer
Bhasha Dam and Muhammadan Dam. This will not only save the water and but also
help in maintain county’s electricity shortage which we are facing from decades.
G. Deforestation

The Pakistan deforestation rate is world’s highest. The country’s deforestation rate has
been estimated between 0.2 and 0.5 per cent per annum-the highest in the world. It has
reduced 4 to 6 percent reduction in wood bio mass. Which result in decreased humidity,
cloud formation and rainfall.
i. Solution
Plants give us oxygen and cool the atmosphere through evaporation. we can counter
deforestation through afforestation.
H. Water Politics

a. National level
Pakistan has failed to have any comprehensive and consolidated national water policy. There is
continuous rift over water among all provinces of Pakistan. The province Punjab is emphasizing
in the construction of Kalabagh dam for better use of 38-million-acre feet water dropping to
sea. The three other provinces, Sindh, K.PK and Baluchistan are opposing the Kalabagh dam for
royalty related issues. Sindh also objects that the storage of Indus water would seriously affect
her delta ecosystem. Provinces are in fear of losing their share of water, blaming each other
without knowing the reality and prefer their own interest over national interest. Shortage of
water is now forcing the provinces to raise the issue of water sharing at the national as well as
international levels
b. International level
In 1960, the World Bank brokered the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) that gives Pakistan
exclusive rights to use the region's western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenaub. The
situation became worse when India started building Kishanganga hydroelectric plant
and raised the issue with international body argued that it should be allowed to use the
western rivers because Pakistan cannot use them properly and wasting it.
i. Solution
Our politicians need to understand the difference the National International is superior
to all interests. They should leave the regional interest and try to focus on National
interests and should understand the intensity of water crisis.
4. Implications

A. National Water Policy

In April-2018, former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi announced Pakistan's first
National Water Policy, promising consolidated efforts to tackle the water crisis. The
National Water Policy lays down a broad policy framework and set of principles for
water security on the basis of which the Provincial Governments can formulate their
respective Master Plans and projects for water conservation, water development and
water management.
B. MDGs and Pakistan & Vision 203o
Pakistan affirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by
adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its own national development
agenda through a unanimous National Assembly Resolution in 2016. Pakistan’s national and
provincial assemblies established SDG Taskforces to oversee progress on the goals.

C. Sanitation and water for all

The Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is a global partnership committed to
achieving universal access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation.
Pakistan joined SWA in 2010. The Ministry of Climate Change represents the
Government of Pakistan in SWA, and it also runs the Clean Green Pakistan
Program. Access to safe drinking water, total sanitation, wastewater treatment, solid
waste management are four pillars out of the five key areas of the Clean Green
Pakistan Program.
D. Clean Drinking Water for all Project
Government of Pakistan launched the project “Clean Drinking Water for All”, efforts are
underway to install one water purification plant in each union council of Pakistan. Due to the
worst condition of water, the Chief Minister Punjab, has revived the “Clean Drinking Water for
All Project” to provide healthy, safe and clean drinking water to the community initially in four
cities at Lahore, Kasur, Okara and Bahawalpur with 307 Water Filtration Plants.
 5. Analysis of the issues

A. Infrastructure
In Pakistan, Firstly, infrastructure for water distribution has become old and out dated.
In Punjab, WASA (water and sanitation agency) is responsible for planning,
development and maintenance, operations of water supply etc. Similarly, there are
Tanker Mafia in Karachi. The Tanker Mafia, charges high rates for delivering clean
water. The whole infrastructure is needed to refined. It seems that, not only the
government but also the general public is not serious about the issue. A proper
institutional mechanism is needed to tackle the issue.
Secondly, the waste management system is big cities are destroyed. It not only
contaminated the ground water but also causing serious diseases such as diarrhea,
typhoid, intestinal worms and hepatitis.
B. National and International policy crisis
The main reason for water crisis is lack of political will and capacity to understand and
to resolve the issue on National and international level. Provinces in fear to losing their
share of water has disrupted the situation. Although several policies such as National
Water Policy, MDGs, and Sanitation and water for all etc. are put under work. Still more
efforts are needed to tackle this issue on National and International Level. The alarming
water shortage calls for political vision, pragmatic policies and affective river regulations in
Pakistan.
6. Other Possible Solution
A. Invent new water conservation technologies
There is need to invent new water conservation technologies, such as rainwater
harvesting, efficient taps and water saving shower etc. In areas where aquifers are
drying up and rainwater is increasingly unpredictable, innovation is needed. 
B. Recycle waste water
We need to develop mechanism to recycle waste water. We can use this recycle water for
beneficial processes such as agriculture and irrigation and in industrial process. It will
help to restore environmental water.
C. Shrink wastewater
Industrial water use accounts for approximately 22 percent of global consumption. The
corporate footprint includes water that is directly and indirectly consumed when goods
are produced. As sustainable manufacturing becomes more important, given the
increasing severity of water scarcity,
Conclusion
In the above discussion I can say that, the Pakistani authorities need to step up efforts to
overcome the water crisis, which is partly man-made. We are in do or die situation in
this issue. We cannot leave this issue unresolved. It is a matter of our future general and
also for the Pakistan. We need to raise our voices not Nationally but also on
international forum against India’s illegal act. We should take this issue in the UNO that
India is breaking the IWT and has constructed dam of water which is the part of
Pakistani asset. We cannot wait anymore, to resolve this issue. A proper, planed and
systematic efforts are required. "First of all, Pakistan's leaders and stakeholders need to
take ownership of this challenge and declare their intention to tackle it. Simply blaming
previous governments, or blaming India, for the crisis won't solve anything. Next, the
government needs to institute a major paradigm shift that promotes more judicious use
of water. A proper administration system can insure the availability of clean water in the
city.

Links for Study:

http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/csas/PDF/1_V28_1_2013.pdf
https://www.dw.com/en/how-climate-change-is-aggravating-pakistans-water-crisis/a-
41315151
https://www.dw.com/en/water-scarcity-in-pakistan-a-bigger-threat-than-terrorism/a-
37444480
https://www.dw.com/en/water-crisis-why-is-pakistan-running-dry/a-44110280
https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-heat-wave-death-toll-rises/a-18536398
https://www.dw.com/en/how-climate-change-is-aggravating-pakistans-water-
crisis/a-41315151
https://lgcd.punjab.gov.pk/cdwa
https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/partners/countries-map/pakistan