Looming threat

Climate change and increasing population are affecting water security around the world. The theme of this year’s World Water Day – observed on March 22 – was ‘Groundwater – Making the invisible visible’. This is a good time to be reminded of the fact that water levels are fast depleting and are likely to result in a situation whereby most areas of the world will come under stress in terms of water usage. The water use habits of people across the globe need attention and improvement. As the water table recedes, our future generations will be hard pressed to access water.

Pakistan is already facing water shortages in most of its areas especially in urban centres. To tackle this challenge all water agencies of the country need to devise strategies for water conservation and management. Routine efforts are not likely to help; what we need are revolutionary measures for saving water otherwise the survival of our future generations will be at stake. And it is not only the federal government that is responsible in this matter; all provincial governments need to invest prudently in the water sector. At the moment, groundwater serves as the backbone of Pakistan’s economy as it fulfills most of our agriculture and domestic needs. Then there is industrial use of water that cuts both ways. One, it consumes a lot of groundwater; and two, unregulated industries release toxic matters into lakes, rivers, and sea. This negligence from the industrial sector generates a lot of pollution and groundwater is increasingly becoming unfit for usage.

Pakistan mainly needs to improve its water storage capabilities. It is not at all clear, however, that mega dams are the answer to this problem. As it is, the increased incidence of droughts that will be caused by global climate change require us to go beyond constructing more dams. While some hydroelectric projects are necessary, Pakistan’s main focus should be on conservation and efficient use. Agriculture is the largest single consumer of water in the country and current water distribution practices do not best maximize use of water in this sector. Right now, water is distributed on the basis of land rather than need. This means water is wasted as it is given to land that may not need as much water as others. The canal system that is used to distribute water loses large amounts of money and with agriculture untaxed, there are few resources to pay for its operations and maintenance. There is also a need to artificially recharge the depleting groundwater resources. This the government can do by employing low-cost solutions. According to some estimates, by 2025 Pakistan will be facing acute water shortages. Three-fourths of our population is already facing severe water scarcity. As weather-related phenomena like floods and droughts become more frequent and extreme, we need to be better equipped to deal with these crises.