water management in pakistan essay

Essay on “Water Crisis in Pakistan and its Remedies” for CSS, PMS, Judiciary Examinations

• August 30, 2021
• Essay for CSS PMS and Judiciary Exam

This is an essay on “Water Crisis in Pakistan and its Remedies” for CSS, PMS, and Judiciary Examinations. Pakistan’s big arguably, biggest — problem is water scarcity. The country faces acute water scarcity by 2025 and will be the most water-stressed country in South Asia within two decades. Almost 30 million Pakistanis have no access to clean water. Find below the complete Essay on the water crisis in Pakistan and its remedies.

World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) report

Causes of the water crisis

• No dams construction
• Dispute between the provinces
• Demands of Sindh
• Punjab’s role
• Lack of proper water management
• Climate change
• Mismanagement of resource

Indian propaganda since 1947

• Standstill Agreement
• Role of the president of the World Bank
• Indus Basin Treaty 1960
• Wullar Barrage (The Tulbal Navigation Lock)
• Kishanganga Project
• Baghlihar Dam

Sources of Water

• Indus River
• Closed basin Kharan desert
• Makran coastal basin
• Water reservoirs/ capacities
• Terbela dam reservoir
• Mangla dam reservoir
• Chashma barrage reservoir
• Utilization of water
• Power generation

Water and Agriculture

Impact on Economy

Recommendations for Water Crisis

• Kalabagh dam
• Thal reservoir
• Raised Mangla dam
• Gomalzam dam
• Water management
• Use of alternative sources of energy

Essay on “Water Crisis in Pakistan and its Remedies” for CSS, PMS, Judiciary Examinations

According to the World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pakistan is one of the most “water-stressed” countries in the world; it is likely to face an acute water shortage over the next five years due to lack of water availability for irrigation, industry and human consumption. A WB report states that the water supply in Pakistan has fallen from 5,000 cubic meters per capita to 1,000 cubic meters in 2010, and is likely to further reduce to 800 cubic meters per capita by 2020. Contributory factors consist of an increase in population, climate change, lack of a solid vision to construct water reservoirs, and misplaced use of Jhelum and Chenab rivers by India under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960 that has resulted in reduced flow of water to Pakistan.

The water crisis has two dimensions. First is the distribution of water among the four provinces, particularly between Punjab and Sindh. The second is between Pakistan and India arising because of utilizing water from the Chenab and Jhelum rivers. The first problem basically arises from the second one.

India got the right to fully utilize water from the three eastern rivers; Ravi, Bias, and Sutlej, while Pakistan was to utilize water from the three western rivers; Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). India was also permitted limited irrigation of 1,343 million acres (2.85 MAF) from western rivers. Water for Pakistan was not quantified. However, it is implied in the treaty that India is not to exceed the specified limit for water utilization. If India continues with its current strategy of building dams on the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, then there would be serious implications for Pakistan’s agriculture and national security. It would aggravate the already strained relationship between the two countries, which is due to the unresolved Kashmir issue.

A very strong perception exists in Pakistan that India in its quest to utilize water from Chenab and Jhelum rivers and is not fulfilling its obligations under the IWT. It wants to constrict the flow of water to Pakistan. This strategy has a hidden political agenda to create scarcity of irrigation water that would hurt Pakistan’s economy and agriculture sector in between 10-15 years. The national interests of both countries would be best served if India honored its comn1ittnents under the IWT. But, is India ready to address Pakistan’s concerns or wants to safeguard its own interests by violating the IWT that could lead to worsening of relations between the two countries?

The Water Crisis at the National Level Exists due to the following reasons:

•  In the past, the public leadership did not succeed to develop a consensus on the construction of huge water reservoirs, particularly the Kalabagh dam that could have addressed many of the power and water problems that are being faced today.
• Provinces are in dispute over their respective share of water under the IWT, with particular reference to utilizing water for Kharif and Rabi seasons through link canals managed by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa). Irsa has stopped satisfying Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan provinces over the distribution of irrigation water for the current Rabi season because of a 34.0 percent shortage of water, primarily due to the construction of the Baglihar dam on Chenab. Water supply would be further constricted because of the planned construction of the Basrur multipower project, Siwalkot dam, and Pakot Dul dam on Chenab river by India. Unless resolved it would continue to be a recurring problem.
• The Sindh Assembly has demanded scrapping the Hydropower project on the Chashma Jhelum link canal, a key project for the Punjab government . There is a strong perception in Sindl1 that the project would constrict the flow of water to the province and hurt its agriculture as well.
• Punjab 1s accused of stealing 16,000 cusecs of water between Taunsa and Guddu, from 2nd to 4th Feb 2010. The Punjab government claims that system losses are to blame for the water that has disappeared.
• Because of an absence of proper water management essentially at the secondary canal level, water crisis, particularly at the lower parts of these canals, is very evident. Coupled with flood irrigation, either irrigation by flooding basins or using the old Punchoo system, the water crisis keeps on increasing its intensity day by day. IRSA has no telemetry system and we cannot decide to distribute water by going beyond letter sense and include the spirit of the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991, we do not see an end to this water crisis in Pakistan.

As far as the scarcity of water in Pakistan is concerned, apparently, it has also to do with:

1. Climatic changes

2. Negligence and mismanagement of water resources by successive governments in Pakistan

Global warming has led to the melting of the Himalayan glaciers and consequent depletion in the flow of water into the Indus River system. The trend is likely to continue with rising temperatures. It is not that only the agricultural sector, the backbone of Pakistan’s economy , is suffering; due to depleting water supply, there is reduced power generation from the hydroelectric plants, having a devastating impact on the country’s industries too. Pakistan has no control over nature. However, it can improve the management of water resources. Pakistan needs to address the following problems on an urgent basis:

• The silting of dams and barrages is a continuous process. Due to heavy sediments carried by the rivers, Tarbela, Mangla and Chasma Dams have lost nearly 25% of their capacity.
• An estimated 40% of the water that runs through canals is lost because of seepage. The reason is the canal beds and banks are unlined, poorly lined, or porous.
• Traditional and antiquated agricultural techniques lead to excessive loss of water.
• While water-intensive varieties of crops, like sugarcane and rice, are cultivated. Optimum crop rotation is imperative but is not done effectively.

On 2 June 2008, Pakistan’s National Economic Council met under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and approved the development strategy based on the Medium Term Development Framework 2005-10. The water sector part of the overall strategy concentrates on water augmentation, water conservation, and effective use of water. It calls for the development of additional medium and large-size reservoirs with priority.

The water storages to be completed, by 2016 include Akhori Dam, Basha-Diamer Dam, Kalabagh Dam, and Munda Dam. Simultaneously the ongoing projects such as raising the structures of Mangla Dam, Gomal Dam, Satpra Dam, Kurram Tangi Dam, and Sabakzai Dam are also to be the top priority. The Medium-Term Development Framework 2005-10 also envisages a number of other measures, including reclamation of land from waterlogging and salinity, improvement of watercourses and ground-water management, etc.

Last year, 20 different UN bodies had warned; “Water is linked to the crisis of climate change, energy and food supplies and prices, and troubled financial markets. Unless their links with water are addressed and water crises around the world are resolved, these other crises may intensify and local water crises may worsen, converging into a global water crisis and leading to political insecurity and conflict at various levels”.

In a recent report, the United Nations has estimated that Pakistan’s water supply has dropped from about 5,000 cubic meters per person in the 1950s to about 1,420 cubic meters. Any further drop would seriously jeopardize economic growth and would be a health hazard. Notwithstanding Indus Basin Treaty, The need for effective international cooperation among riparian countries is greater now than ever before. The demand for water in all countries is escalating and increasingly the harmful effects of activities in upstream countries are being observed. Over a third of the 200 international river basins, are not covered, by an international agreement; only some 30, including Pakistan and India, have co-operative institutional arrangements.

Clearly, efforts are needed to formulate and reach an agreement on an international “code of conduct” or convention in the utilization of shared water basins so that the water needs of some countries are not undermined by irresponsible utilization of water resources by others. Improved international co-operation is also necessary regarding the transfer of knowledge and technology in the water resources field. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, 1998, sets the standard for all agreements involving the shared use of trans boundary water, resources.

It specifically establishes the dual criteria of “equitable and reasonable utilization”‘ of the water resources and the need to “exchange data and consult on the possible effects of planned measures on the condition” of the water resource. The U.N. Convention provides the overall framework for Transboundary water sharing.

The partition of the South Asian Subcontinent on 14 August 1947 into the dominions of India and Pakistan gave birth to a host of problems, including that of the sharing of waters of the mighty Indus River System. The issue was of concern to Pakistan because the headworks of the rivers that irrigated Pakistan’s Punjab province mostly went to the Indian side. On 30 December 1947, Pakistan and India concluded a ‘Standstill Agreement’ for a three-month period under which Pakistan continued to receive water supply from the headworks of Madhopur on River Ravi and Ferozepur on River Sutlej, the two tributaries of River Indus. As the interim arrangement ended on 31 March 1948, the next day the Government of Indian Punjab stopped the supply of water to Pakistan from the Madhopur headwork, affecting, according to one estimate, 5.5% of Pakistan’s irrigated area.

Pakistan raised the issue at the Inter-Dominion Conference held on 3-4 May 1948. India dismissed Pakistan’s claim over water, from the headworks on its side as a matter of right but agreed to release water as a provisional arrangement. It was thus abundantly clear that slowly and gradually the quantity of water would be reduced. In 1951, David Lilienthal, who had formerly served as Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority and as Chairman of the US Atomic Energy Commission, undertook a research tour of Pakistan and India for writing a series of articles. In one of his articles, he opined that it would be very beneficial for the region if the two countries cooperated to jointly develop and operate the Indus Basin river system. He further suggested that the World Bank might play its role in bringing India and Pakistan to agree on some plan to develop the Indus river system for mutual benefit.

President of the World Bank, Eugene Black, picked up the idea and offered his good offices to resolve the issue of water sharing between India and Pakistan. The two neighbors welcomed the initiative and after tough bargaining during the protracted negotiations that spread, over nine years arrived at the contours of the agreement. Broad parameters thus settled the work of drafting began. Finally, m September 1960, President of Pakistan Field Marshall Mohammad Ayub Khan and Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru signed the Indus Water Treaty in Karachi.

Following are the provisions of the Indus Basin Treaty 1960

• Pakistan surrendered three eastern rivers, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas to India with some minor rights to Pakistan.
• Largely three western rivers namely Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab remained with Pakistan.
• India was allowed to use water from the western rivers for irrigation of 642,000 acres of land that were already being irrigated from these rivers along with an entitlement to further irrigate 701,000 acres for crops.
• India was also given specified entitlement for ‘other’ storage, including, power and flood storage i.e., storage for non-consumptive purposes.
• Pakistan was to meet the requirements of its eastern river canals from the western rivers by constructing replacement works.
• Both parties are bound to. regularly exchange flow data of rivers, canals, and streams.
• A Permanent Indus Water Commission, with one Commissioner from each side, was to be set up to resolve issues.
• The procedures were set out for settlement of ‘questions’ ‘differences’ and ‘disputes’, bilaterally and through neutral experts and International Court of Arbitration as the case might be.

Since Pakistan required considerable time to build the necessary infrastructure to divert water from western rivers to eastern rivers and their canals on its side, India was to allow the ‘historic withdrawals’ on the part of Pakistan during the transitory period. According to the Treaty, two dams (Mangla on River Jhelum and Tarbela on River Indus) were to be built It also envisaged five barrages Maraia and Qadirabad on River Chenab, Sidhnai on River Ravi, Rasul on River Jhelum, Chashma on River Indus, and Mailsi on River Sutlej. Besides, one siphon and seven link canals (Rasul-Qadirabad on Rivers Jhelum-Chenab, Qadirabad-Balloki on Rivers Chenab-Ravi, Balloki-Suleimanki II and Sidhnai-Mailsi on Rivers Ravi-Sutlej, Chashma-Jhelum on Rivers Indus-Jhelum and Trimmu-Sidhnai on Rivers Indus-Ravi), to be constructed in Pakistan.

To meet the financial cost, India was to pay a fixed amount of US $ 62.060 million over a period of ten years. An international consortium pledged the US $ 900 million. The World Bank was to administer the Indus Basin, Development Fund. The Indus Basin Project was completed despite all hurdles those included opposition and reservations from many quarters in Pakistan who felt that Pakistan’s rights as a lower riparian state had been compromised. This amounted to a successful resolution of a major dispute over the world’s largest, contiguous irrigation system with a command area of about 20 million hectares.

Although the Indus Water Treaty has been a remarkable success story, lately some projects are undertaken by India in the Occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir from where the western rivers flow into Pakistan have become major irritants and raised serious concerns in Pakistan:

India has embarked upon the construction of a huge network of water storage facilities, the national river linking project at an estimated cost of $120 bn likely to be completed by 2016. It includes the construction of the Basrur multi-power project, Siwalkot dam, and Pakot Dul dam on Chenab, in addition to the already constructed Baglihar dam. In 1985, India started construction of a barrage known as ‘Wullar Barrage (The Tulbal Navigation Lock)’ some 439 feet long and with a lock at the mouth of Wullar Lake, the largest freshwater Lake in Indian occupied, disputed, and held territory.

Purportedly but not so innocently, the stated purpose of the barrage was to make possible navigation in a 22 km stretch between the towns of Sopore and Baramula, during the lean winter season by regulating the flow of the River Jhelum. Pakistan raised objections to this project and the construction work halted in 1987. Pakistan contends that India cannot store water in excess of 0.01 MAF as ‘incidental storage’ on River Jhelum. Pakistan also apprehends that the Wullar Barrage may cause damage to its own project of linking Jhelum and Chenab with the Upper Bari Doab Canal. One important concern of Pakistan, which is extraneous to the Indus Water Treaty but squarely a security issue, is that in case of war between the two countries, India would take advantage of its ability to control the flow of water and make the crossing of the river easy or difficult according to strategic and tactical military requirement.

India, as usual, but erroneously contends that the Wullar Barrage would regulate the flow of water into Jhelum and control the floods. It would not reduce the overall quantum of water flow rather increase it during the lean winter season. All fair weather pretension and an obvious ruse, to get away with an extremely hurtful project to Pakistan. The project’s impact, India asserts, would be beneficial to Mangla Dam in power generation and to Pakistan’s triple canal system due to the regulated flow of water. The matter remains unresolved.

Outrageously on the Kishanganga Project, the Indians hawk on the premise that it will ostensibly bring water from River Kishanganga to Wullar Lake, where a hydroelectric power station is proposed. The project envisages the construction of a channel and a tunnel for this purpose. Simultaneously to build a dam, near the place where River Kishanganga crosses the Line of Control to enter Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where it is known as Neelum.

Here Pakistan plans to construct a 969 MW-capacity Neelum-Jhelum Power Plant with Chinese assistance. The Pakistani project is to going to be completed in 2017, due to a delay in construction work. Pakistan is genuinely concerned and fears that the Kishanganga Project would lead to a shortfall of water flow into Neelum, reducing its power generation by an estimated 9%. The Indus Water Treaty does not bar any party from storing water for power generation as per entitlement.

However, there is the principle of prior appropriation enshrined in the Treaty. India intends to complete the Kishanganga Project by 2016 to avail the opportunity of diverting K.ishanganga’a water to Wullar Lake before Pakistan is able to invoke the provision of prior appropriation. India also claims that Pakistan need not worry because the water diverted by the l<ishanganga Project would reach Pakistan through River Jhelum, no matter Neelum-Jhelum project suffers.

In 1999, India began construction work of 470-feet high, 317 meters wide Baghlihar Dam, also known as Baghlihar Hydroelectric Power Project, oh River Chenab in Doda District of Indian occupied Kashmir. Although India called it a run-of-the-river project, the dam was to have a ‘pond age’ of 15 million cubics! Deters with submerged gated spillways.

Pakistan raised objection to the project design on the ground that the submerged gate ‘spillways would enable India to increase the storage capacity of the reservoir and, if India desired, to halt the supply of water to Pakistan for more than three weeks during the winter season. Pakistan fears that it would lose between 7000 to 8000 cusecs of water per day for Rabi crops. Pakistan also sensed the danger of inundation of the area above Maraia Head Works, if India released water simultaneously from Dulhasti, Baghlihar, and Sala! Darns into River Chenab. Pakistan viewed the Baghlihar Project as another security risk, in times of tension or war, as India would be able to control the flow of water facilitating or hampering the movement of Indian/Pakistani troops according to its requirement.

After the Indus Water Commission failed to resolve the Baghlihar Dam issue, the matter was referred to the World Bank which acknowledged that the issue amounted to a ‘difference’ and appointed Professor Raymond Lafitte, an engineer from Switzerland, as the neutral expert to decide the matter. On 12 February 2007, Lafitte gave his verdict directing India to reduce the capacity of pond age by 13.5% and the height of the Dams’ structure by 1.5 meters. He also called for raising power intake tunnels by 3 meters to reduce flow-control capability. Pakistan had reservations about the verdict but both India and Pakistan agreed to abide by it. The matter, it appears, stands closed.

It is heartening to see that during its recent visit to Pakistan to discuss Indus Water issues, the Indian delegation conceded that all “water disputes must be resolved within an agreed timeframe.” Pakistan’s Indus Commissioner Syed Jamaal Ali Shah told the Indian delegation that a reduction in supplies was jeopardizing the water transfer operation to the eastern part of Pakistan. He also conveyed the message that Pakistan wanted India to take necessary steps if deforestation and environmental impact affected the river flow on its side.

Now dams will be Discussed in detail.

World’s largest earth and rock-filled dam were built at Terbela on river Indus in 1976 with a gross capacity of 11.62 maf and a live storage capacity of 9.68 maf. With the passage of time, due to silting, 24.6% of the storage has been lost and now it has a live storage of 7.295 maf.

Mangla reservoir is the second major storage of Pakistan. It was built in 1967 on river Jhelum with a gross capacity of 5.882 maf and live storage of 5.41 maf. Again due to siltation it has lost 13.2% of its storage and presently can store 4.636 MAF of water.

Chashma barrage is situated on river Indus and was built in 1972 with a gross storage of0.870 maf and live storage of O.717 maf. It has also reduced its storage capacity by 39.3% and is left with a storage capacity of0.435 maf.

In Pakistan, we utilize the water available to us for different purposes. The basic utilization is for irrigation and then used for power generation, drinking, and also provided to some Industries.

Whereas impact on the economy is concerned, according to the estimates of the federal government, the agriculture sector would suffer a loss of about Rs. 90 billion because of drought. Since agriculture has remained a major source of shouldering the already crippled economy , it has a vital role to play particularly in terms of food security and employment of the ever-burgeoning population of the country. It contributes around 35 % to the GNP and employs about 44% of the labor force. It also contributes 65% of our export earnings. The adverse effects of water shortage on agriculture would have a spiraling effect on the prevailing level of poverty.

•  Less water means less agricultural yields and to fulfill the food requirements of the nation, we will be dependent on other countries.
• Raising livestock is the main source of livelihood in rural areas. It is also an important economic activity, which contributes 9.7% of GDP, which will be affected due to a shortage of water.
• Orchards of Pakistan bring home a healthy amount of foreign exchange, which can be affected due to water shortage.
• Due to less production of main crops, which are wheat, cotton, sugar cane, and rice, the Industries related to them will suffer adversely.
• Then due to drought and more dependency on groundwater for irrigation, the water table will go down, and this will cause water constraints to the population.
• Less agricultural outputs will compel people to head towards urban areas for jobs, which will increase unemployment further.
• The distribution of water is controlled from the center by IRSA (Indus river system authority) as per the 1991 agreement between the provinces. Now the shortage of water will cause disputes between the provinces, which may cause harm to the national integrity.

So for overcoming the water crisis, following steps are recommended:

The national water strategy must be based upon two essential elements covering

1. Water developments

2. Water management

In water development, the following dams should start immediately;-

Bhasha dam would be located 200 miles upstream of Terbela on river Indus. its gross storage capacity would be 7.3 maf and live storage 5.7 maf. Its power generation capacity would be 3360 mw.

Kalabagh dam site is located 132 miles downstream of Terbela. Its gross storage would be 6.1 maf. It would have a power generation of 3600 mw.

That reservoir would be located on the right bank of Chashma – Jhelum link canal, along the western bank of river Jhelum. Its reservoir would have a gross capacity of 2.3 maf.

In this, the present Mangla dam would be further raised by 40 ft and thus increasing its gross capacity to 9.5 maf. In addition, its power generation capacity would be increased by 15%.

Mirani dam is located on Dasht River about 48 km of Turbat town in Mekran division. Its main objective is to provide water for irrigation. Its gross storage is 0.30 maf.

Gomalzam dam is located at Khajori Kach on Gomal River in South Waziristan, about 75 miles from Dera Ismail Khan. Its main objective will be to irrigate 132000 acres of land, power generation of 17.4 mw, and flood control.

From these projects, we shall be able to store an additional 20maf of water. Managing water resources is the need of time, and we in Pakistan are already short of water, mnst chalk out a strategy. Following are recommended in this regard:-

Presently the losses occur due to seepage, infiltration, and leakages, etc. seepage results in waterlogging, and these losses can be reduced or eliminated by lining the canals.

In addition, people should be educated to conserve water by cooperation”: Furthermore government should make laws on water conservation, like many western countries.

The second-largest contribution to the total water available comes from groundwater sources. This source has been exploited and very well used by public and private tube wells. It can still provide over nine maf of water. This source can be exploited and judiciously used for irrigation purposes. However in some areas, groundwater is rapidly depleting due to excessive pumpage, authorities should take control in such areas to save them from depleting.

Efforts would be made to convert the present rotation-based irrigation system to a demand-oriented system. The modem irrigation techniques, that is trickling, sprinkling, etc, have the potential to improve water distribution and its utilization.

Authorities should take appropriate steps to curb the illegal extraction of water and ensure its equitable distribution.

Presently irrigation department has failed to stop the illegal theft and extraction; thus irrigation distribution system needs to be privatized through·water user associations.

In addition, water, nowadays is supplied to farmers at a very negligible cost and that is why they do not treat water as a precious resource; therefore there is a need to increase the water prices to make irrigators realize the importance of this asset.

Farmer’s organizations, water user associations, and the private sector must be involved in the construction, operation, and maintenance of i.e irrigation system. Such associations are conceived as a mechanism for creating a cooperative framework for the improvement of watercourses.

The problems faced by the water sector in the country are many, acute and serious and it is also known that we can generate about 83 maf of more water. Therefore, building more reservoirs and an effective management strategy are the needs of the time. Also, implementation of the recommendations will enable the country to ·meet the challenges, and achieve the objectives of integrated, efficient, environmentally and financially sustainable development and management of limited water resources. At the same time, it will enable us to utilize every drop of our water for our bright future.

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Pakistan’s Water Resources: Overview and Challenges

• First Online: 26 March 2021

Cite this chapter

• Muhammad Arif Watto 5 ,
• Michael Mitchell 6 &
• Taimoor Akhtar 7  

Part of the book series: World Water Resources ((WWR,volume 9))

653 Accesses

4 Citations

8 Altmetric

Pakistan has a vision to become one of the top ten global economies by the middle of this century, but has to achieve that transition despite being one of the most water-stressed and arid countries in the world. Its water availability goes through extremes from too much to too little water, and climate change is projected to exacerbate these extremes. For decades, the monumental Indus Basin Irrigation System has been a lifeline, allowing Pakistan’s agricultural economy to boom. While the system continues to grow, intensification of agriculture has meant surface water supply is being rapidly replaced with groundwater, and Pakistan has now become the fourth largest groundwater withdrawing country in the world. Yet Pakistan is also among the top five wastewater producing countries, with only 1.2% of that wastewater being treated. This chapter introduces the challenges Pakistan faces in achieving a more sustainable use of its water resources, emphasising that many of these challenges require social and institutional change. It then provides an overview of the chapters, showing how each chapter contributes to a deeper understanding of these challenges, as well as offering practical suggestions for how Pakistan’s future challenges can be addressed.

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Watto, M.A., Mitchell, M., Akhtar, T. (2021). Pakistan’s Water Resources: Overview and Challenges. In: Watto, M.A., Mitchell, M., Bashir, S. (eds) Water Resources of Pakistan. World Water Resources, vol 9. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65679-9_1

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Pakistan’s Water Crisis

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The pulse  |  security  |  south asia.

While Pakistan’s financial crisis is getting much media attention, the water crisis, its most pressing problem, is being ignored.

A woman holds an umbrella as she walks on a dry bank that provides water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi at Rawal Dam in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, June 22, 2018.

The media is rife with stories of Pakistan’s financial crisis. Unwarranted and ill-founded parallels are being drawn with Sri Lanka. The fiscal situation in the country will soon stabilize (though not resolve) after the budget is presented on June 10 and the IMF releases a tranche of $900 million; this endorsement will prompt China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries to park some dollars as well. However, other problems will continue to haunt Pakistan’s socioeconomic and, as an extension, political circumstances.

The most pressing among these is the acute water crisis. This crisis will not only affect Pakistan’s agriculture sector, which contributes to 23 percent of Pakistan’s GDP and employs 42 percent of its labor force, but also it will take the form of an existential threat to energy and food security, and therefore national security.

A recent report, “ Water Crisis in Pakistan : Manifestation, Causes and the Way Forward,” published by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) sheds some light on the gravity of the issue by adducing eye-opening statistics. Pakistan ranks 14 out of 17 “extremely high water risk” countries in the world, as the country wastes one-third of water available. More than 80 percent of the country’s population faces “severe water scarcity.” Water availability in Pakistan has plummeted from 5,229 cubic meters per inhabitant in 1962 to just 1,187 in 2017.

One indicator highlighting the seriousness of the issue is the water withdrawal rate , which can be defined as the amount of water withdrawn from a source (surface or groundwater). Note that this is different from water consumption, which is the portion of withdrawn water that has been permanently lost as it was consumed (evaporated, used by plants or humans, etc.). Pakistan has been ranked 160th, better than only 18 countries, in terms of water withdrawals to water resource ratio. Moreover, the country treats only 1 percent of wastewater, one of the lowest rates in the world. Around 40 percent of water in Pakistan is lost due to spillage, seepage, side leakage, and bank cuttings along with irregular profiling of alignment of banks.

Agriculture is the largest consumer of water; 97 percent of Pakistan’s freshwater is used by the sector. The water crisis is putting the largest sector of the country’s economy at risk. Besides water deficiency and drought, there are other issues like water-logging and salinity affecting Pakistan’s crops, which are responsible for 60 percent of the agriculture sector’s contribution to GDP. An estimated shortage of around 70 million tons of food is expected by 2025.

Additionally, 30 percent of Pakistan’s land is expected to be waterlogged while 13 percent is saline. When coupled together with the overarching issue of growing water scarcity, one can see an existential threat to the country in the offing. Crop productivity is affected by water availability. This will impact cotton, which plays a pivotal role in the backbone of the country’s industry, textiles. Sugar is another crop that requires sufficient amounts of water and so does wheat.

Col. Abid, a senior defense analyst and an expert on water management in Pakistan, says that “climate change, the apathy of successive governments towards growing water shortage at all levels, and the lack of planning have resulted in a severe water crisis” in Pakistan. “The country has reached a stage where its water management system seems to be progressing in the wrong direction,” he argued, adding that “instead of getting better, the crisis is getting worse.”

Pakistan’s population is expected to exceed 380 million by 2050, according to a U.N. report. Moreover, by 2025 the demand for water in Pakistan is expected to reach 274 million acre feet (MAF) as compared to 191 MAF supply of water.

The problem is that policymakers, the media, and the public are least bothered with what I have described as a threat to Pakistan’s national security. Switch on the television and 99 percent of talk shows will be focused on politics — who said what to whom. This needs to change. It doesn’t require any computer model or algorithm or a verbose research paper to see that if the water crisis isn’t addressed with a proactive approach, this can even lead to conflict between provinces, which can tear away the fabric of social cohesion, further weakening Pakistan from within.

Water crisis and its management should be prioritized to the highest degree. Pakistan should impose a water emergency and engage at international and national level to solve its crisis before it gets too late.

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Managing Groundwater Resources in Pakistan’s Indus Basin

• Improved groundwater management is crucial for a healthy, wealthy, and green Pakistan. Pakistan’s Indus Basin Irrigation System is the largest artificial groundwater recharge system in the world, but the current water management paradigm doesn’t reflect it.
• Over-abstraction, waterlogging and contamination threaten the crucial role of groundwater as a life-sustaining resource, which has cascading impacts on drought resilience, public health, and environmental sustainability.
• For groundwater to remain a safe and reliable source of drinking water and a lifeline for tail-end farmers, a balance must be achieved between efficiency of the surface water system and sustainability of groundwater resources.

Pakistan’s Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) is the largest contiguous surface water irrigation system in the world. Consisting of mighty barrages and thousands of kilometers of canals, the IBIS not only irrigates millions of hectares of agricultural land, but it also hosts a vast reservoir of groundwater that is central to the country’s water and food security.

Groundwater supplies 90 percent of domestic water in rural areas of Pakistan, 70 percent of domestic water nationally, and over 50 percent of agricultural water. It plays a pivotal role in mitigating the impacts of increasingly variable canal water supply and rainfall. Yet, despite Pakistan’s dependence on groundwater, its deteriorating condition remains poorly understood and the country has long failed to develop an evidence-based, sustainable groundwater management program.

A new World Bank report, Groundwater in Pakistan’s Indus Basin: Present and Future Prospects , aims to address this. The report tracks how groundwater has transitioned over the course of the 20 th century, from being barely considered at the beginning of the century, to becoming a nuisance mid-century, and now forming the backbone of Pakistan’s domestic water supply and agriculture.

The conceptual separation of surface and groundwater is largely artificial, as in reality there is a close interplay of water above and below the ground. Throughout the IBIS, fresh groundwater exists primarily due to widespread leakage from its canal network. As the IBIS expanded, seepage into the underlying aquifer led to a water table rise that contributed to waterlogging and salinization in the 1950s and 1960s which blighted agricultural production.

Shown in the figure below, the water table in a doab in Pakistan’s Punjab province gradually rose in the first half of the 20 th century – a period of significant irrigation infrastructure development – until it began saturating the topsoil and causing waterlogging. In response, the Government of Pakistan encouraged groundwater pumping to help lower the water table. This successfully reduced waterlogging in most of Punjab and, over time, groundwater became a lifeline for farmers. Today, it ensures a reliable source of water spatially and seasonally, especially where rainfall and canal water do not satisfy local demand.

Without seepage from the IBIS, fresh groundwater levels would fall, and rural communities that have naturally saline groundwater would lack year-round drinking water, as they currently do from the seepage that sits as a freshwater layer on top. Farmers, especially at the tail-end of canals, would suffer due to their reliance on groundwater to mitigate inequity in surface water distribution.

Today, waterlogging still afflicts 35 percent of the IBIS canal command area, mostly in the province of Sindh. Over-exploitation of groundwater is also emerging as a serious problem that affects about 18 percent of the irrigated area, as well as many urban areas, threatening the accessibility and the quality of groundwater.

The crucial role of groundwater as a life-sustaining resource is increasingly threatened not only by over- abstraction and waterlogging, but also by contamination. Only 20 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water, the remainder relying on water contaminated by increasing salinity, improper disposal of untreated wastewater, agricultural runoff with pesticide and fertilizer residue, and geogenic (natural) contaminants. Irrigation adds around 16 million tons of salt to the Indus basin every year, threatening soil health and agricultural production in up to 43 percent of the irrigated area. Fecal contamination of water resources is endemic due to poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, a key factor in high rates of stunting in Pakistan , which affects 40 percent of children under five . Safe WASH services, essential in the fight to reduce stunting, cannot be sustainably achieved without protecting the quality of the underlying resource – groundwater.

In the past, these challenges were aggravated by an inadequate policy framework, lack of regulation and insufficient investments. Unregulated pumping has led to groundwater depletion and the drying up of wells in parts of Punjab. Excess irrigation in areas where groundwater levels are high is contributing to widespread waterlogging in Sindh. An increasing volume of unmanaged domestic and industrial wastewater is seeping into the ground, adding to the cocktail of contaminants affecting drinking water supplies. Inadequate data collection has inhibited the ability to adopt evidence-based policies to improve groundwater management.

Improving groundwater management, however, is integral to Pakistan’s economic development. According to the World Bank report Pakistan: Getting More from Water , without necessary reform and better demand management in the water sector, water scarcity will constrain Pakistan from reaching upper middle-income status by 2047.

In recent years, Pakistan has taken steps towards addressing modern groundwater challenges, starting with the National Water Policy 2018 which identified priorities for groundwater management. This was followed by the Punjab Water Policy in 2018 and the Punjab Water Act 2019. The policy emphasizes the need to curb groundwater over-abstraction and contamination, and the Act establishes a regime of licenses for abstraction and wastewater disposal, managed by newly created regulatory bodies.

Punjab is also developing a provincial Groundwater Management Plan. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a similar act was passed in 2020 while in Sindh, a draft Water Policy is underway to provide much needed direction for tackling waterlogging and salinity, and for conjunctive management of surface water and groundwater. The federal government is drafting a five-year National Groundwater Management Plan to provide a framework for coordinating groundwater stakeholders across Pakistan.

These are important first steps. Going forward, the challenge will be to implement and deepen these initial reforms to ensure the long-term sustainability of Pakistan’s vital groundwater resources.

Groundwater in Pakistan’s Indus Basin: Present and Future Prospects proposes a roadmap to improve groundwater management, focusing on four intervention areas: appointing a coordinating agency that is accountable for groundwater management across all sectors in each province; establishing a modern groundwater database; managing water resources conjunctively; and improving groundwater quality.

As the last 100 years have shown, the Indus Basin’s groundwater challenges are complex and varied and demand an adaptive management response. Recent reforms in parts of the basin provide a basis for a more ambitious groundwater agenda, including the calculation of water budgets, wider engagement of stakeholders, comprehensive monitoring of water balances to manage waterlogging and depletion, the identification of opportunities for managed aquifer recharge, and a more rigorous approach towards safeguarding water quality.

Written by Lucy Lytton, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, and Basharat Ahmed Saeed, Water Resources Specialist.

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The Nation: Dealing with Pakistan’s growing water insecurity

Water insecurity is already imposing significant social, environmental, and economic development challenges for pakistan..

Water insecurity is already imposing significant social, environmental, and economic development challenges for Pakistan. In recent years, climate-induced disasters (floods and droughts) have highlighted the urgency to introduce climate-resilient solutions for improved water governance at all levels. In 1980, Pakistan had a relatively abundant supply of water. In 2000, Pakistan had become water-stressed and by 2035, Pakistan is predicted to have become water scarce. In addition, COVID-19 has underscored the importance of strengthening the resilience of potable water supply systems. Thus, Pakistan’s increasing water scarcity and vulnerability to climate change highlights the urgent need to manage climate-related risks and to improve water use at the national and local levels. Presently, groundwater provides over 90% of drinking water supplies to all major cities, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad Capital Territory, often referred to as the “twin cities.”

Read the full article on https://nation.com.pk

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Pakistan’s water crisis: why a national water policy is needed.

• The Asia Foundation

November 1, 2017

By Brayshna Kundi

Recently, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) delivered a grave warning: if the government does not take action, the country will run out of water by 2025 . Severe water scarcity is already having a negative impact on the country’s public health and the economy. Over 80 percent of water supplied is considered unsafe, and water scarcity and water-borne diseases are resulting in a loss of up to 1.44 percent of GDP. A number of standalone initiatives are underway to mitigate this impact; what else is needed now is a coordinated national policy on water.

Approximately 95 percent of Pakistan’s water is used for agriculture, with 60 percent of its population directly involved in agriculture and livestock, and 80 percent of exports based on these sectors. Despite having the world’s largest glaciers, Pakistan is among the world’s 36 most water-stressed countries . As the population rapidly increases, water demand is projected to far outstrip supply. As this happens—coupled with strained relations with the country’s neighbors over transboundary water resources—the water crisis is posing a threat to the country’s future security, stability, and sustainability. Immediate coordinated planning and implementation is required to avert disaster.

Goal six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, water use efficiency, and integrated water resources management. In line with the SDGs, Pakistan’s vision 2025 addresses the issues of water security and aims for increasing water storage capacity, improving agricultural efficiency by 20 percent, and ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to all Pakistanis.

Greater investment in Pakistan’s water sector represents the best option for sustainable social and economic development and to ensure that no one is left behind in the process of development. Pakistan needs a sound national water policy which delineates the framework for balanced socio-economic development, management, and conservation of the country’s water resources in an environment challenged by climate change. Attempts over the years to update and approve a national water policy have failed due to lack of priority and consensus among federating units, and the approval of the 2002 draft national water policy has been delayed for a decade and a half.

The Asia Foundation is supporting a local organization Hisaar Foundation to develop a series of recommendations to guide the framework of a national water policy. The five main focus areas of the recommendations are: improving access to water for the poor and landless; financing the urban and rural water value chain; safeguarding the Indus Basin and its infrastructure; improving water institutions and their management and governance; and building a base for science, technology, and social aspects of water.

At a recent conference on water policy organized by the Hisaar Foundation and The Asia Foundation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, participants from the public and private sector discussed recommendations regarding where the country’s water policy and its implementation need to focus, with specific strategies for a provincial water policy.

Highlights include: calling on the political leadership to actively take up the water cause, improving agricultural water use efficiency, maintaining and upgrading existing water infrastructure, expanding the irrigation network to semi-arid and arid districts in order to utilize arable land, depoliticizing water management, raising community awareness about water conservation and water rights, improving transboundary communication, and bringing the private sector and institutes of higher learning into the water discourse.

If prioritized, water can serve as the engine of economic growth and regional trade expansion. With agriculture being Pakistan’s major sector (constituting 20% of GDP) and largest water consumer, it is estimated that even if a billion-dollar output is achieved for every million acre-feet of water utilized for agriculture, the water economy has the potential to increase total annual agricultural GDP to $200 billion from its current $50 billion.

Similarly, the country has exploited only 6,500 megawatts of hydro energy generation capacity of the Indus river system which stands at a potential of generating 59,000 megawatts. To realize the potential of the country’s “water economy,” a paradigm shift in reframing the national water policy and management is required at national level where all stakeholders are engaged and demand side measures are emphasized that promote conservation, water use efficiency, and controls excessive groundwater exploitation.

Pakistan needs to employ smarter and less water-intensive practices. The country has seen its fair share of supply-side measures such as building mega hydro projects and dams. The focus of the future reforms however should be on improving water use efficiency especially in the agriculture sector which continues to be the largest consumer of water while escaping taxation (or lightly taxed at the provincial level).

Apart from bringing the agriculture sector under the tax umbrella, there is a need to reform water tariffs and cost recovery. Canal water is heavily undervalued and the cost of recovery is poor— only 24 percent of the annual operation and maintenance cost is recovered—leading to water use inefficiencies and a financially unsustainable irrigation system. Moreover, the uniform pricing structure of major crops does not reflect their different water consumption rates. Reforming tariffs to represent their true value, therefore, will not only increase efficiency but will also generate revenue to maintain the water infrastructure, thereby reducing system leakages. Similarly, inadequate urban water tariffs have affected drinking water quality and there is a need to revise urban utilities to promote conservation and efficient water use.

Besides pricing incentives, maintaining infrastructure and innovation have an important role to play in water management and conservation. Maintaining infrastructure, especially in the agricultural sector, can reduce water loss significantly (two-thirds of irrigation water is lost due to system leakages) while practices such as crop zoning and innovative technologies like direct seeding drip irrigation should be encouraged and emphasized which increase agriculture water-use efficiency. Innovative methods in water conservation, recycling, wastewater management, water treatment, and rain water harvesting should become realities in cities and towns. However, care should be taken in making innovative practices cost effective and accessible.

Greater engagement of multiple stakeholders is required at the local level in water management and the capacity-building of local institutions. Campaigns aimed at increasing awareness and behavioral change should represent an essential part of the government’s water policy. Women have been identified to be important change makers in areas of conservation efforts; therefore, women should be engaged at every level. Most importantly, equity needs to enter the policy discourse so that measures introduced are not at the expense of the marginalized and the poor. Lastly, the private sector should be brought into the public policy discourse over water management. Banks should be encouraged to develop products to meet the gaps in financing for water projects. The State Bank of Pakistan’s recent Green Banking Guidelines for financial institutions is a step in the right direction.

Pakistan aspires to become one of the 10 largest economies in the world by 2047. Given the importance of water to Pakistan’s economy, getting water resource management right will be essential to realizing this goal. Water issues need to be resolved expediently for the sake of peace and prosperity in the country. We owe this to our future generations.

Brayshna Kundi is a program officer for The Asia Foundation in Pakistan. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and not those of The Asia Foundation or its funders.

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Water challenges in pakistan.

Water security is an increasingly important issue that constitutes one of the biggest challenges to Pakistan’s development. With a projected population of 263 million in the year 2050, Pakistan needs to put serious thought into how it will provide adequate water for agriculture, industry, and human consumption in the face of rapidly dwindling reserves.

The 20th century approach to water management involved large-scale reservoirs, link canals, and interbasin transfers. This allowed for Pakistan’s agriculture sector to grow which relies on the single largest contiguous irrigation system in the world. Agriculture also happens to be the largest sub-sector of water use, as it consumes around 93% of total water resources available (surface and groundwater). Thus, mismanagement of water will have its biggest impact on Pakistan’s agricultural sector.

Today, Pakistan also fosters one of the lowest crop yields per unit of water in the world. In fact, irrigation delivery systems in the Indus basin have under-performed historically despite large investments in civil infrastructures and management institutions. It is increasingly being realized that many of the technical and institutional challenges are really problems of scales, such as the inability to monitor and maintain geographically extensive infrastructures; the inability to collect information, reconfigure and react within short time spans and the inability to scale-up human expertise across institutions. To tackle the challenges of scale, we must move to the next generation of smart water management, which will be ICT powered and involve extensive knowledge transfers and virtual water transfers. It will help ensure that technological innovation and coupled water and energy systems models address the full scope of food security needs.

Pakistan’s water issues are multi-dimensional. There is no single, all-encompassing problem, but instead multiple, interrelated problems. Therefore, systems analysis becomes key to help the country develop optimal solutions to its challenges.

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Essay on Water Crisis in Pakistan | Essays for CSS

Table of Contents

Outline:Water Crisis in Pakistan

Water security has a direct impact on human security. It is a multidimensional challenge with complex undertones, as water security is both an increasing concern as well as critical for sustainable development. Before it is too late and Pakistan faces a drought across its entire territory, a comprehensive water policy needs to be prepared and implemented.

I. Introduction

Ii. water sources.

A. Water reservoirs / capacities Pakistan is having three basic reservoirs, namely mangla dam reservoir, Terbela dam reservoir and Chashma barrage reservoir. more small reservoirs like Warsak, Baran dam hub, Khanpur, Tanda, Rawal, Simly, Bakht khan Hamal lake, Mancher lake, Kinjhar lake and Chotiari lake Arealso included as small storage. The storage capacity of these reservoirs is as shown on the view foil. 1. Terbela dam reservoir World’s largest earth and rock filled dam was built at Terbela on river Indus in 1976 with a gross capacity of 11.62 maf and a live storage capacity of 9.68 maf. With the passage of time, due to silting, 24.6% of the storage has been lost and now it has a live storage of 7.295 maf. 2. Mangla dam reservoir Mangla reservoir is the second major storage of Pakistan. It was built in 1967 on river Jhelum with a gross capacity of 5.882 maf and live storage of 5.41 maf. Again due to siltation it has lost 13.2% of its storage and presently can store 4.636 maf of water. 3. Chashma barrage reservoir Chashma barrage is situated on river Indus and was built in 1972 with a gross storage of 0.870 maf and live storage of 0.717 maf. It has also reduced its storage capacity by 39.3% and is left with a storage capacity of 0.435 maf. B. Rivers C. Lakes and streams D. Underground water

III. Major uses of water

In Pakistan we utilize the water available to us for different purposes. The basic utilization is for irrigation and then used for power generation, drinking and also provided to some Industries. A. Irrigation Out of 240.22 maf, 172.21 maf water is utilized for irrigation purposes as shown on the view foil. In this the canal diversions is 105.23 maf; system loses are 144-40; rainwater is 6.0 maf; ground water is 41.30 and utility above rims is 5.28 maf. B. Power generation Water released by the hydropower plants returns to the river system. The reservoirs are operated on priority bases only for irrigation. Recent increase in thermal generation has reduced the potential conflicts between water releases from reservoirs for hydropower generation and irrigation. Now most of the annual storage is utilized for irrigation and not for hydropower, but conflicts do arise at times. C. Drinking Most of the rural and urban water is supplied from ground water through tube wells and hand pumps except few cities like Karachi and Islamabad/Pindi. Total urban and rural (domestic and commercial) requirements estimated is 10-15% of the surface water, out of which 80% return to the system, however with degraded quality. Net consumption is normally about 2% of the total water available. D. Industry Water is also utilized in Industries basically for cooling purposes and also in manufacturing processes. This utility is less than 1%.

IV. Causes of present alarming crisis

A. Water supplies are vulnerable and suffer from extensive losses B. Limited storage capacity C. Trans-boundary disputes intensifying river supply vulnerability D. Outdated distribution system and inequitable distribution of water E. Groundwater resource depleting rapidly due to over-pumping F. Extremely low water tariffs are distorting incentives for water conservation G. Low recovery and underfunded water infrastructure contributing to high water losses H. Gaps in governance leading to inefficient management I. Climate Change – a Major Emerging Challenge for Water Sustainability J. Reduced rainfall K. Poor water management L. Poor handling of industrial wastewater M. Climate change N. Lack of political will to address the governing issues O. Change in food consumption pattern and lack of proper water storage facilities P. Ignorance at the household level Q. Wastage of drinking water in non-productive means R. Corruption in water sector S. Mismanagement in irrigation sector T. Hydrological warfare- water terrorism by India India started almost every project without informing Pakistan which is in violation of IWT 1. Manipulation of the treaty terms There is a restriction of aggregate storage allowed to India over western rives via Annexure E of the treaty. India, however, is manipulating this provision by building a series of storages on western rivers, increasing storage and water regulation capabilities manifold. 2. Construction of Kshanganga dam India has recently awarded a tender for construction of 330 MW Kshanganga hydro-electric project (HEP), which will be built on Indian tributary (Kishanganga) of Jhelum River. Pakistan has announced a similar project on Pakistani side of River Jhelum. According to IWT, the country that completes the project first will win the rights to the river. Hence, despite costing 68% more than estimated, India is endeavoring to finish the project first. 3. Construction other dams on Western rivers India has plans to construct 62 dams and hydro-electric units on Rivers Chenab and Jhelum thus enabling it to render these rivers dry by 2014.19 U. Worrying level of deforestation V. Scientific implementation of water policy

V. Far-reaching reparations

A. Effects on agriculture in general and on economy in particular The adverse effects of water shortage on agriculture would have a spiraling effect on the prevailing level of poverty. 1. Less water means less agricultural yields and to fulfill the food requirements of the nation, we will be dependent on other countries. 2. Raising livestock is the main source of livelihood of rural areas. it is also an important economic activity, which contributes 9.7% of gdp, will be affected due to shortage of water. 3. Orchards of Pakistan bring home a healthy amount of foreign exchange, which can be affected due water shortage. 4. Due to less production of main crops, which are wheat, cotton, sugar cane and rice, the Industries related to them will suffer adversely. 5. Then due to drought and more dependency on ground water for irrigation, the water table will go down, and this will cause water constrains to the population. 6. Less agricultural outputs will compel people to head towards urban areas for jobs, which will increase the unemployment further. 7. The distribution of water is controlled from the center by IRSA (Indus river system authority) as per 1991 agreement between the provinces. Now the shortage of water will cause disputes between the provinces, which may cause harm to the national integrity. B. Implications resulting from India’s terrorism 1. Risk of breaching ITW India’s future energy and water demands, which are enormous, can compel her to undertake projects in violation of IWT. Certain quarters in India are already saying that IWT is more of a binding for India and should therefore be abrogated. 2. Possibility to divert water Though India does not have the capability to divert water from the western rivers at present, however, possibility of a project similar to China’s Great South-North Water Transfer Project can not be ruled out. 3. Internal and external political and armed conflicts Any reduction in water inflow to Pakistan at this stage will cause shortage of water for irrigation and if supplemented by adverse climatic conditions and other internal water mismanagement issues, can trigger inter-provincial water conflicts of serious magnitude. If India is found violating IWT at that point in time, then it will spark serious differences between India and Pakistan and might become prelude to a major conflict. 4. Negatively Impacting agriculture and damaging social life Most recently, water flows in Chenab has declined by 40 per cent to about 6,000 cusecs from a 10 year average of about 10,000 cusecs, mainly because of construction by India of over a dozen hydropower projects upstream, reduction in rainfall and diversion of river waters. Incase India resorts to stoppage of water as per her capability, 406 Canals and 1125 Dis tributaries will become dry rendering 0.35 million acres of cultivated land barren and eventually ruining a total of 7.0 million acres of fertile land. India’s decision to go ahead with Kishanganga HEP and four other dams in India administered Kashmir is geared not so much towards meeting its own needs as impoverishing Pakistan. Agriculture is Pakistan’s backbone and water flowing in the channels is its blood line. It contributes 21% to the GDP and employs 45% of labour force.24 Adverse effects of water shortage on agriculture would have a spiraling effect on the prevailing level of poverty leading to economic and social problems. 5. Lose of water annually To fill Baglihar Dam, India had consistently obstructed Chenab’s flow; resultantly Pakistan received only 19,351 cusecs on 9 October 2009 and 10,739 cusecs on 11 October 2009, when it should be receiving a minimum of 55,000 cusecs per day. Total loss was approximately 321,000 MAF of water. India has gained a water holding capacity on western rivers which can seriously affect water inflow at Marala HWs / Mangla Dam causing acute shortage of water for winter crop. Though, presently India is not capable of diverting water, possibility of a project similar to China’s Great North-South Water Transfer Project cannot be ruled out. 6. Effecting economic growth The growth rate of Pakistan’s agriculture is already decreasing due to water shortages. In order to achieve the required growth targets in agriculture, Pakistan needs an estimated 149 MAF of water in 2000, 215 MAF in 2013 The shortage of surface water will result in drought and more dependency on ground water for irrigation, hence water table will go down causing water constraints to the population. C. Threats to federalism D. Effects on health sector E. Floods and drought F. Impending war with India G. Energy shortage/crisis

VI. Recommendations

A. Building dams and reservoirs 1. Water development The construction of following dams should start immediately:- a. Chasha dam It would be located 200 miles upstream of terbela on river Indus. its gross storage capacity would be 7.3 maf and live storage 5.7 maf. Its power generation capacity would be 3360 mw. b. Kalabagh dam Kalabagh dam site is located 132 miles down stream of Terbela. Its gross storage would be 6.1 maf. It would have a power generation of 3600 mw. Here I shall further suggest that the construction of Kalabagh be under taken only, once all the provinces are convinced and willing to cooperate. c. Thal reservoir It would be located on the right bank of Chashma – Jhelum link canal, along the western bank of river Jhelum. Its reservoir would have gross capacity of 2.3 maf. d. Raised Mangla dam in this the present Mangla dam would be further raised by 40 ft and thus increasing its gross capacity to 9.5 maf. In addition, its power generation capacity would be increased by 15%. e. Mirani dam The dam is located on Dasht River about 48 km of Turbat town in Mekran division. Its main objective is to provide water for irrigation. Its gross storage is 0.30 maf. f. Gomalzam dam It is located at Khajori Kach on Gomal River in South Waziristan, about 75 miles from Dera Ismail Khan. Its main objective will be to irrigate 132000 acres of land, power generation of 17.4 mw and flood control. From these projects we shall be able to store additional 20maf of water. B. The National Water Strategy 1. Water developments 2. Water management C. Solutions to counter Indian water terrorism 1. Pakistan should highlight the importance of the issue on various international forums. Merely passing the political statements will not resolve the problem. 2. Indian intentions and needs should be distinguished on quantitative terms to highlight the real face of India among international community. 3. The treaty does not provide so many important issues like availability of water, effects of climate change and proportional increase or decrease of water in quantitative terms. Pakistan should look for proper strategic forum for deliberative discussion and policy options for these issues. 4. At present, renegotiating the treaty seems impossible and Pakistan has to relook its water policy in the given limits of treaty. Therefore, effective role of Indus Water Commissioners is the need of hour. 5. Interstate conflict can be managed through internal strength and same is the case with water conflicts. 6. Pakistani policy makers should understand the concept of conflict resolution and initiatives must be taken on capacity building as no one can compel any sovereign state (India or Pakistan) to act on morality. 7. There is serious need to work on water management as the available water is being wasted and the groundwater table is going below and below.

D. Need of robust diplomacy at regional and international level E. Introducing proper water usage fee F. Need for more forests G. Seeking assistance from international aid agencies H. Lining of canals and the optimal use of water for agriculture 1. Define the groundwater ownership 2. Legislation for licensing of groundwater 3. Increase the groundwater recharge for urban and rural areas under legal framework I. Control Water pollution 1. Including both the surface water pollution 2. Groundwater pollution is a tough task to handle 3. Implementation of national environmental quality standards 4. Incentives should be given to industrial sector in form of subsidies and tax relaxation against the installation of waste water treatment plants 5. Impose fine on the polluter pay plenty rule J. Adopting more crop per drop technologies for agriculture 1. Laser levelling 2. Drip irrigation 3. Sprinklers can help to minimize water wastage at farm level K. Positive awareness L. Agro-climating zoning should be preferred instead of provincial boundaries for water resources M. Mainstreaming environmental change concerns 1. Eco-framework conservation 2. Proper administration and use of water N. Construction of Reservoirs on emergency basis: Diamer-Basha, Kalabagh Dam O. Revamping the system of water rights P. Strengthening the role of IRSA Q. Disseminate awareness regarding the rising stress on water resources R. Raising height of existing dams to increase capacity S. using advanced technology e.g. drip framing for water conservation T. Building national consensus on water sustainability via constitutional amendment U. using wireless sensor network/ telemetry system as a central database to monitor water consumption/ flow yearly

VII. Conclusion

Water crisis in pakistan (most expected essay for css exams 2019-2020).

About the author

Saeed Wazir

Saeed Wazir mentors students of CSS Essay, Précis and Current Affairs and specializes in English literature, language and linguistics from NUML. He has perused Media studies at NUST. He qualified PMS three times in a row. He serves at federal universities as marking instructor. He has been mentoring CSS English students for the last seven years and runs Facebook page: CSS Essay, Précis with Saeed Wazir. He is based in G 9/2 ,Islamabad and runs special batches of CSS Essay Précis both On-Campus and Online. He could be reached at csspms55@gmail. com and WhatsApp plus Phone no 03450997822. He contributes to CSS Times, Daily Times, Dawn, Foreign Policy and IPRI. He evaluates Online Essays, Précis and Comprehension.

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