The Great Water Bungle

That there is a national crisis in terms of water, its storage and availability is self-evident, but what are considerably less evident are the reasons for it. If there is one thing that successive governments of Pakistan is good as it is the ability to shoot themselves in both feet at point-blank range. The principal culprit on this occasion according to a report issued by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is that the emerging water crisis has been exacerbated in the wake of the 18^th Amendment, a consequence of which is that the provinces have done little or nothing to address water issues and there is anyway considerable confusion between the provinces as to which can do what to alleviate or mitigate the problem. The curse of the 18^th Amendment strikes once again, as aspiration collides with deficient capacity and incompetence, much as has been seen in respect of devolved health and education budgets everywhere but Punjab.

The report is crystal clear, saying the interprovincial discords have been heightened as a result of the water crisis and no tangible initiatives have been taken to develop water storage. The provinces are unwilling to impose water taxes even though they could be used to develop water infrastructure. Post to the 18^th Amendment no province developed a Wapda-like entity to engage with water issues and resource management, leading to a vacuum into which available water disappears at an alarming rate.

The reality is that there is no quick fix for any of this. The entire Indus river system is changing across the subcontinent, and variations in precipitation in Pakistan in particular add to water worries. Stir in disagreements about provincial governments’ disputes about net hydel profits and a geriatric generation and transmission infrastructure and there is an almost perfect storm of linked deficits that go back a generation or more. Incompetence and plain old bad planning play their part, and Pakistan is sleepwalking to a thirsty future. The water crisis has to be managed, there is no escaping it and it can only get worse if unattended. We have every expectation that it will.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2018.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.