City staring at 'environmental catastrophe'

WWF-Pakistan warns of depleting groundwater, rising pollution, urban flooding

KARACHI:

Experts and government officials on Wednesday raised grave concerns over the mega city's escalating water crisis, warning that the metropolis is staring at an environmental catastrophe unless all stakeholders join forces to tackle the interlinked challenges of depleting groundwater, rising pollution, urban flooding, and crumbling infrastructure.

The stark warnings came during a two-day training workshop organised by WWF-Pakistan, which brought together representatives from the Sindh government's Planning and Development Department, Bureau of Statistics, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Pakistan Meteorological Department, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Irrigation Department Sindh, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), and public sector universities.

The participants stressed that the city's burgeoning water demand, rapidly depleting aquifers, alarming pollution levels, recurring urban floods, mounting pressure on infrastructure, and deteriorating ecosystems are deeply interconnected crises that demand a holistic and coordinated response.

Addressing the gathering, SEPA Director General Waqar Hussain Phulpoto delivered a blunt message, stressing that environmental protection can no longer be treated as an afterthought in water resource planning.

"Effective environmental governance, better coordination among institutions, and strict implementation of environmental laws are the guarantees for protecting our water resources for present and future generations," Phulpoto added.