ccess to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being. Unless progress is made, billions of people are at risk of losing access to these by 2030. Demand for water is rising due to rapid population growth, urbanisation and increasing water needs in agriculture, industry and energy sectors.

Decades of misuse, poor management, over-withdrawal of groundwater and contamination of freshwater supplies have exacerbated water stress. In addition, many countries are facing growing challenges linked to degraded water-related ecosystems, water scarcity caused by climate change, underinvestment in water and sanitation and insufficient cooperation on boundary waters.

Water stewardship is defined as using water in a way that is socially equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial. This is achieved through a stakeholder-inclusive process that involves site and catchment-based actions.

The WWF is helping redefine the role of the private sector in advocating, supporting and promoting better basic governance for the benefit of people and nature. WWF-Pakistan aims to explore Lahore and Multan districts as two regions for implementing community water stewardship and watershed management practices.

It is estimated that for Lahore and Multan total water replenishment will be of the order of 331,925 cubic metres. Rainwater will be harvested at the household level to off-set use of freshwater and artificially recharge the aquifer. The ablution water shall be used for horticulture purposes. Wastewater will be treated (by floating in wetlands as an efficient nature-based solution) and on/ off-farm water management practices will be improved to conserve the resource.

Practising water stewardship will help businesses identify and manage the many water risks threatening their growth and viability. It will enable them to grasp the ever-growing list of water opportunities available to their companies. Stewardship will help companies make invaluable contributions to solving the world’s water crisis, achieve sustainable development goals and supporting human rights, while also making the business more resilient.

It’s an innovative concept where treated wastewater is purified beyond drinking water standards and recharged into groundwater supplies. The underground aquifers store and naturally filter it until we need it. The system doesn’t rely on rainfall and has the potential to recycle large volumes of water naturally and sustainably.

In every city, more than 50 to 80 percent of the wastewater discharge is from the residential sector.

Water reuse reclaims water from a variety of sources and then treats and reuses it for beneficial purposes such as agriculture and irrigation, potable water supplies, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes and environmental restoration.

Pakistan continues to waste thirty million gallons of water a day – about ten trillion per annum – that, if saved, can help transform agriculture and industrial sectors. 

Water recycling is supported by many international organisations, such as the WHO and Greenpeace International. It is a safe and relatively inexpensive process that allows cleaning used water for reuse. Recycled water can be safely used for cleaning, washing and plantation.

In multiple studies, water recycling systems have proved their effectiveness and applicability in Muslim nations. Thus, water recycling does not contradict the Islamic tradition and teachings. Ablutions are a ritual that use considerable quantities of water. Ablutions are regularly carried out in mosques, five times a day, thus contributing to the decline of freshwater resources. By introducing water recycling in mosques, we can contribute to global water preservation efforts while staying true to faith and tradition. Treating ablution water from mosques is a current necessity, as all efforts must be made towards treating and reusing grey water. This practice is being adopted in many Muslim countries.

Water used for ablutions is the least polluted and contains fewer chemicals, fats and grease. It must be noted that the installation of ablution water treatment units in mosques has great benefits, but it is also not without some challenges that must be dealt with.

These devices need periodic maintenance and filter replacement from time to time. They also require awareness of the operation, the type of chemicals, their quantities, and the method of controlling those. The mosque does its bit to recharge groundwater by reusing the ablution water.

This reuse of ablution water has been started in Jamia Masjid Namra in Johar Town, Lahore. The recycled water is used to irrigate plants in the park next to it. This can save up to 60 percent of the water required for irrigating the park. The mosques at Punjab University, GC University, the UET and the Badshahi Masjid are also trying to use the system.

According to the UNESCO, increased population growth has caused an increase in water demand, becoming an alarming global issue. Several countries have begun promoting grey-water reuse to ensure the availability of resources in the future.

Pakistan’s clean water access in 2018 stood at 35.69 percent, a 0.17 percent decline from 2017. Water wastage is a major problem in the country. In every city, more than 50 to 80 percent of the wastewater discharge is from the residential sector. Industrial and commercial buildings claim the rest. According to the IMF, Pakistan’s per capita annual water availability is 1,017 cubic metres.

Pakistan continues to waste thirty million gallons of water a day – about ten trillion per annum – that, if saved, can help transform the agriculture and industrial sectors. Rainwater harvesting can also be used to collect, convey and store rainwater for future use from relatively clean surfaces such as a roof, land surface or rock catchment.

Water governance means adopting locally driven solutions to make measurable improvements in the overall water management of the region and linking these initiatives with governance or policymaking.

The writer is a playwright and freelance journalist. He can be reached at pashajaved1@gmail.com and his blogging site: soulandland.com