Water security: ‘Water scarcity has put survival in jeopardy’

Seminar speakers call for new storage projects.

FAISALABAD:

Increasing population worldwide, particularly in Pakistan has caused deterioration of the environment and challenges of food and water security, speakers at a seminar on Integrated Flood Management said on Tuesday.

The seminar was organised at the New Senate Hall by the Water Management Research Centre of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. It was chaired by Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan.

Dr Khan said 43 per cent of the world’s population lived in urban centres... urbanisation was also on the rise in Asia. By 2020, half of Asia’s population would be living in cities, he said. “We need to take emergency measures to provide water facilities for cities and create awareness about rational use of water,” said Dr Khan.

Pakistan is barely above the 1,000 cubic metres per capita benchmark for water scarcity, he said. This would worsen in the coming years if immediate steps were not taken. Dr Khan also suggested increasing the water storage capacity to tackle floods.

UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Science Bureau Deputy Director Dr Shahbaz Khan spoke about the need to prioritise water scarcity issues. “Water security is a prerequisite for development,” he said, the government must strive for an effective trans-border groundwater mechanism.

He said water security was a major issue for the world. “Glacial melt has been increasing rapidly due to global warming. That causes flash floods each year,” said Dr Shahbaz Khan.

He said the 193 member UNESCO had made water security its top priority. It is a matter of survival for any country.

The rise in global average temperature has already begun affecting agricultural productivity in the region, said Dr Shahbaz Khan. “As the world’s population increases, the need to save water becomes more crucial,” he said.

WMRC Director Allah Bukhsh said water is the most precious resource on Earth. The depletion of water resources has placed survival in jeopardy.

“We need to sensitise people about the issue and take stringent measures to store more water,” he said.

Dr Tadashige Yoshida from Japan and Dr Kazauki Yoshida from Paris highlighted features of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The IWRM promotes coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of ecosystems and the environment.

Dr Tariq from Australia also called for steps to tackle water scarcity and environmental issues.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2013.