Busting myths about water scarcity in Pakistan
The masses must first rid themselves of the many myths which continue to dominate public discourse
By 2050, 5.7 billion people could be living in areas with severe water scarcity at least a month a year – that means almost six out of 10 people could be suffering from water shortages. This alarming report by the United Nations, presented last year, led to some much needed dialogue among world leaders. However, it has resulted in little change, and a nuanced discussion about water scarcity is often marred by the prevalence of certain myths regarding the water crisis in Pakistan, and around the world. For instance, many in Pakistan believe that desalination is the ultimate remedy which will cure water shortages once and for all in the country. 18,000 factories already use this technique around the world, mainly in the Arabian Peninsula and in the United States. However, in many cases, water desalinisation may cause more harm than good.
The desalination process itself results in pollution since the reverse osmosis process separates impurities from saltwater and produces highly polluting effluent. Moreover, such plants are usually extremely energy intensive and are dependent on the domestic energy sector of a nation to function. While desalination plants produce billions of cubic metres of drinking water, they also release around 76 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide per year; and this emission rate continues to grow by 10% each year. As long as desalination plants the world over fail to utilise renewable energy, the process will unfortunately not prove to be the silver bullet needed to tackle global water scarcity. Furthermore, people in Pakistan need to realise that propping up desalination plants to help increase water supply is ultimately a futile exercise if the tanker mafia in the country continues to rob the masses of this vital resource.
Another myth doing the rounds is that water scarcity is not a concern for the more economically developed nations, however, this is simply not the case. Water scarcity has little to to do with the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. It is rather the climate that explains why certain regions receive an abundant water supply while others regions experience droughts. Freshwater is spread between the ice caps, the crust, the atmosphere and the surface of the planet (rivers, marshes, lakes). Yet, only 2.5% of water on earth is fresh, while only 1% of the fresh water is easily accessible; the rest remains trapped in snowfields and glaciers. Making matters worse, this water is not evenly distributed. The most arid regions are located near the Tropics and the Middle East. In contrast, only nine countries account for 60% of the world’s drinking water, including Russia, Colombia, Brazil, India, the United States, Canada and Indonesia.
Another common myth I often come across in Pakistan entails that as long as it rains there is no risk of running out of water. Worldwide, one third of the population is having to combat water shortages. In Cambodia, Chad, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Afghanistan and Oman, less than 40% of the population has access to safe and clean water. Therefore, unfortunately, it is not possible for the water falling from the sky to solve this problem alone. The majority of this rainwater cannot be recovered since we don’t have any rainwater collection infrastructure present in Pakistan, thus meaning that 61% of rainwater simply evaporates. The remainder either becomes groundwater (23%) or runoffs into rivers (16%).
Directly recovered rainwater is not satisfactory either since it will most likely be polluted by atmospheric gases, which is why it can’t be used as a vital resource. Additionally, rainwater can only help in droughts if there is efficient distribution, an existing sanitation network and infrastructure already present to help streamline this process. Evidently, Pakistan is severely lacking in this department. Another weak narrative claims that it is enough to simply try and consume less water every day by conserving the amount of water utilised for daily usage. While these small everyday measures are important, they merely play at the margins of global water management, as evidenced by the numbers on the matter. About 3,800 cubic kilometres of fresh water is consumed worldwide per year, of which 70% is used only for agriculture and livestock purposes and 22% is used in secondary industries. Hence, only eight per cent is left for domestic use. Therefore, in Pakistan, the shattered water management processes in the agricultural sector easily overshadow the impact of turning your tap off while washing your face. Ultimately, if Pakistan truly wishes to tackle the growing global water crisis then it is imperative that the masses first rid themselves of the many myths which continue to dominate public discourse.
The desalination process itself results in pollution since the reverse osmosis process separates impurities from saltwater and produces highly polluting effluent. Moreover, such plants are usually extremely energy intensive and are dependent on the domestic energy sector of a nation to function. While desalination plants produce billions of cubic metres of drinking water, they also release around 76 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide per year; and this emission rate continues to grow by 10% each year. As long as desalination plants the world over fail to utilise renewable energy, the process will unfortunately not prove to be the silver bullet needed to tackle global water scarcity. Furthermore, people in Pakistan need to realise that propping up desalination plants to help increase water supply is ultimately a futile exercise if the tanker mafia in the country continues to rob the masses of this vital resource.
Another myth doing the rounds is that water scarcity is not a concern for the more economically developed nations, however, this is simply not the case. Water scarcity has little to to do with the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. It is rather the climate that explains why certain regions receive an abundant water supply while others regions experience droughts. Freshwater is spread between the ice caps, the crust, the atmosphere and the surface of the planet (rivers, marshes, lakes). Yet, only 2.5% of water on earth is fresh, while only 1% of the fresh water is easily accessible; the rest remains trapped in snowfields and glaciers. Making matters worse, this water is not evenly distributed. The most arid regions are located near the Tropics and the Middle East. In contrast, only nine countries account for 60% of the world’s drinking water, including Russia, Colombia, Brazil, India, the United States, Canada and Indonesia.
Another common myth I often come across in Pakistan entails that as long as it rains there is no risk of running out of water. Worldwide, one third of the population is having to combat water shortages. In Cambodia, Chad, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Afghanistan and Oman, less than 40% of the population has access to safe and clean water. Therefore, unfortunately, it is not possible for the water falling from the sky to solve this problem alone. The majority of this rainwater cannot be recovered since we don’t have any rainwater collection infrastructure present in Pakistan, thus meaning that 61% of rainwater simply evaporates. The remainder either becomes groundwater (23%) or runoffs into rivers (16%).
Directly recovered rainwater is not satisfactory either since it will most likely be polluted by atmospheric gases, which is why it can’t be used as a vital resource. Additionally, rainwater can only help in droughts if there is efficient distribution, an existing sanitation network and infrastructure already present to help streamline this process. Evidently, Pakistan is severely lacking in this department. Another weak narrative claims that it is enough to simply try and consume less water every day by conserving the amount of water utilised for daily usage. While these small everyday measures are important, they merely play at the margins of global water management, as evidenced by the numbers on the matter. About 3,800 cubic kilometres of fresh water is consumed worldwide per year, of which 70% is used only for agriculture and livestock purposes and 22% is used in secondary industries. Hence, only eight per cent is left for domestic use. Therefore, in Pakistan, the shattered water management processes in the agricultural sector easily overshadow the impact of turning your tap off while washing your face. Ultimately, if Pakistan truly wishes to tackle the growing global water crisis then it is imperative that the masses first rid themselves of the many myths which continue to dominate public discourse.