Measures to be taken include the construction of Kalabagh Dam
PESHAWAR: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) have separately warned the authorities that by the end of 2025, Pakistan will face a severe water shortage and dry out completely in 2050. If the current situation persists, there is a risk of an acute shortage of water. Water shortage in Pakistan can be seen in two ways. One is the unfair distribution of water resources at the time of Partition and the other is the poor management of the resources in the country to save the available natural water.
Water scarcity is a grave threat for Pakistan as its economy is based on agriculture and about 26% of the country’s GDP is coming from the agriculture sector.
Pakistan receives significant amount of water during the months of monsoon which if properly stored is sufficient enough for irrigation purpose. Due to the lack of dams, we are letting a large quantity of water go to waste. Researchers predict that if the situation persists, the country is likely to face an acute water shortage and drought spells in the near future. Pakistan has the world’s fourth-largest rate of water consumption and its economy is more water-intensive than any other country. Due to scarcity of water, the production of crops has decreased over the time and has led to less exports and poor economic performance. Another reason of water shortage in Pakistan is its growing population and urbanisation.
Measures to be taken include the construction of Kalabagh Dam. This situation implies that Pakistan needs to take measure on an emergency basis to tackle this issue by carrying out legislation.
The government must also allocate sufficient funds for construction of new water reservoirs and invite foreign investors to invest in construction of dams. It should also enter into agreements with China to construct dams under CPEC.
Fazal Karim
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2019.
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