Pakistan is currently facing an acute water shortage that is likely to wreak havoc in

the country in the coming years. Recently, the Indus River System Authority (IRSA)
highlighted a grave water shortagein the Indus Basin irrigation system (IBIS), the
world’s largest contiguous irrigation system, for the summer cropping season. The
timing of the crisis is critical and had delayed the sowing of the country’s main cash
crops, including cotton. Experts believe the authorities were aware of the
approaching acute water shortage because of shortages during the winter cropping
season.

In Pakistan, the signs of water stress are ubiquitous in the form of water scarcity,
resource depletion, and contamination. The catastrophe implicates the country’s
incompetent leadership, and its inept administration and poor management of
available natural water resources. This has made Pakistan vulnerable to long drought
spells and extreme floods. The climate change-led water crisis not only poses a threat
to the summer cropping season but has also adversely affected the generation of
hydroelectricity.

Such a crisis is inevitable in a country where political leaders are busy slinging mud
at each other in a lust for power while lacking vision. These leaders also oppose the
construction of new infrastructure for storing water. The fact that the word “dam”
has been made highly controversial and that its use often spurs heated discussions
between the constituent provinces aptly highlights Pakistan’s predicament.

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Pakistan is running out of fresh water at an alarming rate, and authorities anticipate
that it is likely to suffer a shortage of 31 million acre-feet (MAF) of water by
2025. The shortfall will be devastating for a country with an agriculture-based
economy. Nearly 70 percent of the Pakistan’s population is directly or indirectly
associated with agriculture, which accounts for 26 percent of its gross domestic
product (GDP).

Farmers are likely to feel the pinch in the form of in-season water shortages, which in
turn, will affect their crop growth and delay harvesting, resulting in reduced
production.

In Pakistan, the majority of agricultural land is irrigated, after accounting for ground
and rainwater, with fresh water from the IBIS. The IBIS is fed through two major
dams including Tarbela and Mangla, which since construction, have lost storage
capacity due to enormous silt deposition. Both reservoirs are already hitting a dead
level and are unlikely to carry forward the required flow for the summer crops.

The anticipated water flow in the IBIS for this summer season is 95 MAF against a
112 MAF average of past 10 years. Moreover, both reservoirs can only store up to 14
MAF of the 145 MAF that annually flows through the country.

Pakistan is storing less water among the available surface flows due to lack of
significant storage. And given the severely irregular water availability in rivers, the
lack of adequate storage at all levels makes it practically impossible to stock the
priceless resource reasonably. However, the country receives a significant amount of
water from the monsoon spells that, if stored properly, could provide with a
sustainable irrigation system.
River flow did not improve during a brief rain spell in the early summer, and the
temperature also did not rise enough in the northern areas of the country to enable
the melting of snow. The country received 50 percent less snow this year than its
long-term average in the catchment areas, which further adds to the catastrophe.

Due to fewer water releases from the dams, farmers largely depend on groundwater.
This puts extra pressure on the aquifers. The majority of agricultural production
depends on underground water, which is not efficiently utilized causing the water
table to plummet at an alarming rate.

Farming and urban communities pump far more amounts of groundwater than is

replenished naturally into the aquifers. With nearly 3 to 4 MAF shortfall of
groundwater discharge annually, the aquifers are receding at an alarming rate.
Moreover, a 2015 NASA-led study confirmed that the Indus Basin aquifer is among
the most overstressed and rapidly depleting systems in the world. Rainwater
harvesting and partially treated sewage creeks for groundwater recharge are two
available solutions, but the country is far from adopting these on a large scale.

Furthermore, the farming community is wasting a tremendous amount of fresh water

by using outdated flood irrigation methods. About 95 percent of fresh water is
utilized for irrigation, and yet the country is achieving a lower per acre crop
production when compared to India and China in the region.

Exponential population growth in Pakistan has also dramatically changed the

calculus of water demand, resulting in a reduced water availability per capita.
Populated cities like Karachi lack sound water management and are already facing a
Cape Town-like “day zero situation.”

Amid election season in Pakistan, the water crisis has already contributed to the
politically charged atmosphere, attracting massive public attention. The issue will
undoubtedly influence the rural electorate.

The water crisis is the writing on the wall and not hogwash. The snowcapped
mountain ranges of the country, the primary freshwater source, are not infinite. The
political leadership still has time to give attention to this pending catastrophe and
include it in their mandates for the upcoming polls.

Recently, a large social media campaign was launched with the objective of pushing
the incoming government into building the Kalabagh dam, a politically disputed
project. Undoubtedly, infrastructure is often popular and likely necessary, but such
uncertain mega projects are a waste of time and resources and cannot instantly
address the present-day water issue.

The most crucial next step should be to build new reservoirs at all scales to store the
monsoon surplus and reduce downstream flood peaks. The principle that every drop
stored is a drop saved can help to keep the river delta alive and can also solve many
problems stemming from water scarcity. Given the country’s impending water
shortage, new reservoirs are equally vital to meet the requirement of agriculture,
rapid urbanization, population growth, food insecurity and growing water demand of
the industry.
The recently approved national water policy must be implemented both in letter and
in spirit for efficient water resource management. Furthermore, commissions must
be set up to monitor the efficient water resource management at all levels frequently
and to offer timely recommendations.

Given the limited capacity of state institutions to manage the water sector and
because repeated attempts and investments to fix existing infrastructure have failed,
the country must think outside the box. Innovation, particularly the participation of
the private sector, could be key in managing water resources efficiently. De-bundling
services and encouraging the private sector to manage water resources can be an
excellent initiative to address current issues. The Agriculture department ought to
keep urging and facilitating farmers in shifting their focus to modern and efficient
irrigation technologies in lieu of outdated flooding methods.

Pakistan needs to learn from countries with even less water but higher domestic
product (GDP) and better quality of life indicators such as Israel, a country right in
the middle of a desert that has been able to reuse effluent to irrigate about 40 percent
of its agricultural land with sound political will, economic resources and by
employing the right technology.

It’s a challenge for the state to save water not only for agriculture but also for human
consumption and to meet the rising water demand in other social and economic
sectors. This demands improved water governance, management and investment in
scientific knowledge, all of which entail commitment and resources. It’s time for
decisive action.

"There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to
satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people -
and the environment - suffer badly."    World Water Vision Report
With the current state of affairs, correcting measures still can be taken to avoid the
crisis to be worsening. There is a increasing awareness that our freshwater
resources are limited and need to be protected both in terms of quantity and quality.
This water challenge affects not only the water community, but also decision-makers
and every human being. "Water is everybody's business" was one the the key
messages of the 2nd World Water Forum.

 
 Saving water resources
 
Whatever the use of freshwater (agriculture, industry, domestic use), huge saving of
water and improving of water management is possible. Almost everywhere, water is
wasted, and as long as people are not facing water scarcity, they believe access to
water is an obvious and natural thing. With urbanization and changes in lifestyle,
water consumption is bound to increase. However, changes in food habits, for
example, may reduce the problem, knowing that growing 1kg of potatoes requires
only 100 litres of water, whereas 1 kg of beef requires 13 000 litres.
 

Improving drinking water supply

 
Water should be recognized as a great priority. One of the main objectives of the
World Water Council is to increase awareness of the water issue. Decision-makers
at all levels must be implicated. One of the Millenium Development Goals is to halve,
by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water
and sanitation. To that aim, several measures should be taken:
 guarantee the right to water;
 decentralise the responsibility for water;
 develop know-how at the local level;
 increase and improve financing;
 evaluate and monitor water resources.
 

Improving transboundary cooperation
 
As far as transboundary conflicts are concerned, regional economic developement
and cultural preservation can all be strengthened by states cooperating of water.
Instead of a trend towards war, water management can be viewed as a trend
towards cooperation and peace. Many initiatives are launched to avoid crises.
Institutional commitments like in the Senegal River are created. In 2001, Unesco and
Grenn Cross International have joined forces in response to the growing threat of
conflicts linked to water. They launched the joint From Potential Conflicts to Co-
Operation Potential programme to promote peace in the use of transboundary
watercourses by addressing conflicts and fostering co-operation among states and
stakeholders.
More about this program: www.gci.ch/en/programs/natural_02.htm
www.unesco.org/water/wwap/pccp
 
Water resources are becoming scarce
 

Agricultural crisis
Although food security has been significantly increased in the past thirty years, water
withdrawals for irrigation represent 66 % of the total withdrawals and up to 90 % in
arid regions, the other 34 % being used by domestic households (10 %), industry (20
%), or evaporated from reservoirs (4 %). (Source: Shiklomanov, 1999)
As the per capita use increases due to changes in lifestyle and as population
increases as well, the proportion of water for human use is increasing. This, coupled
with spatial and temporal variations in water availability, means that the water to
produce food for human consumption, industrial processes and all the other uses is
becoming scarce.
 

Environmental crisis
 
It is all the more critical that increased water use by humans does not only reduce
the amount of water available for industrial and agricultural development but has a
profound effect on aquatic ecosystems and their dependent species. Environmental
balances are disturbed and cannot play their regulating role anymore.
 

An increase in tensions
 
As the resource is becoming scarce, tensions among different users may intensify,
both at the national and international level. Over 260 river basins are shared by two
or more countries. In the absence of strong institutions and agreements, changes
within a basin can lead to transboundary tensions. When major projects proceed
without regional collaboration, they can become a point of conflicts, heightening
regional instability. The Parana La Plata, the Aral Sea, the Jordan and the Danube
may serve as examples. Due to the pressure on the Aral Sea, half of its superficy
has disappeared, representing 2/3 of its volume. 36 000 km2 of marin grounds are
now recovered by salt.
 
Source: WaterGAP 2.0 - December 1999
 
Water stress results from an imbalance between water use and water resources.
The water stress indicator in this map measures the proportion of water withdrawal
with respect to total renewable resources. It is a criticality ratio, which implies that
water stress depends on the variability of resources. Water stress causes
deterioration of fresh water resources in terms of quantity (aquifer over-exploitation,
dry rivers, etc.) and quality (eutrophication, organic matter pollution, saline intrusion,
etc.) The value of this criticality ratio that indicates high water stress is based on
expert judgment and experience (Alcamo and others, 1999). It ranges between 20 %
for basins with highly variable runoff and 60 % for temperate zone basins. In this
map, we take an overall value of 40 % to indicate high water stress. We see that the
situation is heterogeneous over the world.
 

The concept of Water Stress

 
Already there is more waste water generated and dispersed today than at any other
time in the history of our planet: more than one out of six people lack access to safe
drinking water, namely 1.1 billion people, and more than two out of six lack adequate
sanitation, namely 2.6 billion people (Estimation for 2002, by the WHO/UNICEF
JMP, 2004). 3900 children die every day from water borne diseases (WHO 2004).
One must know that these figures represent only people with very poor conditions. In
reality, these figures should be much higher.
 

 Photo by ADMVB bokidiawe@yahoogroupes.fr

 

Water Crisis
 
While the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water
resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population will
increase by another 40 to 50 %. This population growth - coupled with
industrialization and urbanization - will result in an increasing demand for water and
will have serious consequences on the environment.

AMONG all the looming challenges that Pakistan is facing, water crisis is the
most critical problem of the country. According to the world resource
institute, the country is among the leading five that face extremely high water
scarcity and low access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The United
Nations Organization has categorized Pakistan amongst those few
unfortunate countries where water shortage destabilizes and jeopardises its
existence in the next few decades. In Pakistan, quarter to third of Pakistan’s
population lacks access to safe drinking water. Both the urban and rural
areas suffer from water scarcity, water contamination and water-borne
diseases.
The serious crisis of water has remained unheeded and even the political
parties do not bother to make this issue in their manifestos. When the water
crisis is talked of, the managing and construction of dams get politicized.
However, beyond the construction of new dams, the already constructed
dams are mismanaged. The mega dams of Pakistan at Tarbela and Mangla are
40 years old and their storage capacity is falling because of silting and
sedimentation. They store only 30 days of average water demand compared
to 220 days for India. There are numerous reasons that have given rise to
water scarcity like lack of proper management of existing dams, the
antediluvian system of canals and barrages, mismanagement of water
resources and policy flaws.
According to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Pakistan
may run dry if the prevalent situation continues. Water is desperately needed
for agriculture in rural areas. Moreover, Pakistan’s water crisis is also
glaringly apparent in its urban areas. Besides the administrative flaws,
Pakistan’s all-time enemy is all adding salt to sorrows. India has violated
Indus Water Treaty many times by building dams on western rivers. Its
projects such as Bughlier and Kishenganga Dam on Chenab and Jhelum rivers
may eat up substantial portion of Pakistan’s share of water. In this regard,
Pakistan has lost its case in international court few days ago. Water crisis
has badly affected the agriculture sector of Pakistan. The agriculture sector,
according to latest Economic Survey of Pakistan, contributes 21 percent to
total GDP of Pakistan.
Moreover, agriculture sector provides 47 percent employment to a total
population of Pakistan. Similarly, the majority of Pakistan’s export goods rely
on agriculture i.e. 70 percent of the export goods are agriculture products.
This means that agriculture is the backbone of country’s economy and
agriculture sector is dependent on water. Thus the water scarcity results in
severe economic distress to country’s economy. Historically, the agriculture
sector has played a very monumental role in making country’s economy
stabilized. This became possible due to uninterrupted water availability in the
country. According to a research study on water resources of Pakistan,
approximately water having economic values of $70 billion is being thrown
into the sea every year due to non-construction of water reservoirs. A water-
starved country, which has the foreign reserve of only $20 billion, can’t afford
to throw water of mammoth economic value.
The politicians and analysts give credit to the policies of the then
government. Few economists and policy makers cite this in another way.
Firstly the Indus Water Treaty was materialized in 1967 between arch-rivals
India and Pakistan that facilitated water availability. Secondly, tube wells
were initiated to overcome water deficit. Pakistan is not only facing water
scarcity but the safe drinking water is also a dream in many urban areas.
According to the recent report of UNICEF, 53,000 Pakistani children die of
many lethal diseases such as diarrhea after drinking contaminated water
each year. However, the worsening water crisis needs to be resolved for
economic stability and development. Far deeper changes are required to
mitigate the water deficiency.
For instance, Singapore follows the strategy of fours taps and Japan has
invested heavily in water-saving technology. Similarly, Pakistan has sufficient
water around the year that needs to be reserved rather it is left for spoilage
and wastage. Many developing countries are adopting a strategy of water-
pricing that needs to be implemented in the country for better and efficient
use of water. According to the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the development of lesser levelling technology and furrow bed
irrigation has resulted in saving 30 per cent of water and has led to increasing
water productivity by 25 per cent in Punjab. Its scope needs to be widened
across Pakistan to achieve water availability. Besides this according to
Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources Pakistan has lost water
worth $90billion since 2010 due to floods. This can be attenuated by
constructing mega but undisputed dams so that the country may get the track
of development ,progress and prosperity.

Water scarcity is an increasingly pressing issue of our time, and according to

the UN, nearly 1.8 billion people will live in regions of “absolute water
scarcity” by the end of 2025 making water crisis in Pakistan also an alarming
issue as we are at the 3rd place going to have an acute water shortage.

This universal truth is biting Pakistan really severely, and this is why
the Diamer Bhasha Dam Fund that was created by the Supreme Court of
Pakistan has restarted the water debate in the country.

Where many are appreciating the effort, some are quick to dismiss the actual
purpose of creating an imminent dialogue on the creation of dams and are
highlighting that the economy cannot be run like charities.

The thing is, if international bodies are not willing to loan us any money for
the projects, we have to exercise every channel possible to preserve the
water or meet the devastating consequences.

Water Crisis in Pakistan

The water crisis in Pakistan has been termed as the more significant threat to
the country than terrorism, and sadly the former had not been able to make
the headlines in either national or international media.
An old man protesting in Karachi for water shortage. Pic credit: National Courier

The reports by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and

Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) have warned that
the country may run out of water in 2025 and with more than 200 million
people depending upon the depleting water reserves, it is high time that the
people wake up to find the sustainable solutions for this issue.

Some Alarming Stats

Pakistan has the world’s fourth highest rate of water consumption and has
the highest water intensity rate – the amount of water, in cubic meters, used
per unit of GDP – around the world which sketches quite a scary picture for a
country which is not too large on the map.

According to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan

ranks third among the countries facing acute water shortage.

The country has 1017 cubic meters per capita annual water availability which
is dangerously close to the scarcity threshold of 1,000 cubic meters.
This figure was 1500 cubic meters in 2009, an indicator that Pakistan’s
economy is more water intensive than many other countries in the world.

You would be surprised to know that Pakistan receives around 145 million
acre-feet of water every year but only can save 13.7 million acre-feet.

It needs 40 million acre-feet of water, but sadly 29 million acre-feet of flood

water is wasted due to our inability to build dams.
India has also raised this issue internationally that it should be allowed to use
the western rivers because Pakistan cannot use them properly; a slap on our
faces.

Causes and Effects of Water Crisis in Pakistan

Many researchers have predicted that Pakistan is on its way to becoming the
most water-stressed country in the region by 2040.

This is unfortunately not the first time that the development and research organizations have
alerted Pakistani authorities about the impending crisis, but we are still standing on the rainbow
mountain, not valuing water at all as a commodity.

According to experts the growing population and urbanizations are the

leading causes of the water crisis in Pakistan. Several other factors
contributing to the water problem include;

 Reduced rainfall
 Poor water management
 Poor handling of industrial wastewater
 Climate change
 Lack of political will to address the governing issues
  Change in food consumption pattern and lack of proper water
storage facilities
 Ignorance at the household level
 Wastage of drinking water in non-productive means

1. Mismanagement

Water wastage is also one of the most significant issues in Pakistan, and as
the water crisis worsen, no measures seem to have been adopted by the
government and individuals to prevent this calamity. At the individual level,
we waste water carelessly while;

 Washing cars/bikes at homes and service stations

 Washing clothes or kitchen utensils and keeping the tap open
 Washing garages and washroom every day; even the main gate of
our home.

And how couldn’t this affect the mindset of people in our government
departments?

Even worse, you will be surprised to know that Lahore Waste Management
Company washes the Lahore city roads with drinkable water. 30,500 liters of
drinking water gets wasted every day.
The mismanagement of water takes place at many levels. Most of the
farmlands in the country are irrigated through a canal system and according
to IMF, this canal water is vastly underpriced and recovers only one-quarter
of annual operating and maintenance costs.

Surprisingly, agriculture which consumes fresh water the most is mainly

untaxed, making it a burden on our economy. We are not implying to tax the
poor farmer but why are the big feudal lords having plenty of agriculture land
not levied?

2. Temperature Change

In Pakistan, water scarcity has been accompanied by an extreme rise in

temperatures. Around 65 people died from heatstroke in the Karachi in May
this year while in 2015, 1200 lost their lives due to scorching weather.
The monsoon season has also become erratic in the past few years and the
winter season has shrunk from four to two months. Meanwhile, the forests
now account for 2 percent of the nation as compared to the 5 percent at the
time of Independence in 1947.

All of these factors combined are both the causes and effects of climate
change and on top of it Pakistan lack dams to save the flood water.

The former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced Pakistan’s first National
Water Policy this year, but experts were skeptical of the government’s
policies to tackle the water crisis.

3. Reservoirs Storage Capacity

Tarbela and Mangla dams, the two major water reservoirs in Pakistan
reached dead level recently, sparking a debate on social media over the lack
of any positive actions by the government to face the water crisis.
Photo credit: NBC News

These two big reservoirs can save water for only 30 days, and on the other
hand India can store water for 190 days while the USA can do the same for
900 days, even Egypt has the capacity to store water for 1000 days – figures
that should serve as an eye opener for the politicians as well as the citizens
of this country.

4. Drought

Water is a basic necessity of life while experts say that almost 70% of world
water is used in agriculture. So water shortage will result in no agriculture
and eventually no food to eat. If we paid no heed, soon most of the fertile
land would be turned barren.
Young boys fetching water from far away well. pic credits: brandsynario

5. Effecting Provincial Interharmony

Water scarcity is also triggering security conflicts in Pakistan, causing

provinces to fight over this precious resource.

The three out of four provinces blame Punjab for usurping their water
supply- an issue if not resolved in a considerate manner can cause the
feeling of betrayal among the people of other provinces.

As we are a water-intensive economy, the water scarcity can also create a

broader economic crisis in Pakistan which may also lead to an economic
collapse in the future.

The most preferred solution of all the governments have been to play the
blame game; blame either previous governments or India for the water crisis
while at the same time doing nothing to solve the problem.
Albert Einstein once described insanity as “doing the same thing over and
over again and expecting different results.” So maybe it is our time to let go
of the traditional approaches to water and energy which have failed to solve
the problem for us.

Many countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, USA, UK, Greece, etc. are forging
ahead with innovative ideas and cutting-edge technologies to make water an
easily accessible resource.

In addition to creating reliable and safe water supplies, we also need to

gather the real-time data to manage the overall use and treatment cycles of
water, a feat only possible through embracing the latest technologies.

It is fitting to reject the conventional approaches to water and move towards

innovative solutions to ensure water for our future generations.

Executive summary

No one suffers more from a change in climate than a child. Their small bodies are vulnerable to the
changes in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat. For many children, a
change in climate is felt through a change in water. In times of drought or flood, in areas where the
sea level has risen or ice and snow have unseasonably melted, children are at risk, as the quality and
quantity of water available to them is under threat. When disasters strike, they destroy or disrupt
the water and sanitation services that children rely on.

Climate change is contributing to a growing water crisis and putting the lives of millions of children at
risk.

The changing climate is one of many forces contributing to an unfolding water crisis. In the coming
years, demand for water will increase as populations grow and move, industries develop and
consumption increases. This can lead to water stress, as increasing demand and use of water strains
available supplies.

By 2040, almost 600 million children are projected to be living in areas of extremely high water
stress. If action is not taken to plan for water stress, and to safeguard access to safe water and
sanitation, many of these children will face a higher risk of death, disease, and malnutrition.

The world is on the brink of a crisis, as the combination of water stress and climate change is
creating a deadly outlook for children. As water stress increases, the effects of climate change
threaten to destroy, contaminate or dry up the water that remains.

For children, water is life.

Without water, children simply cannot survive. When forced to rely on unsafe water, they are at risk
of deadly diseases and severe malnutrition. Every day, more than 800 children under 5 die from
diarrhoea linked to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene.1 Unsafe water and sanitation are also
linked to stunted growth. Around 156 million children under five years old suffer from stunting,
which causes irreversible physical and cognitive damage and impacts children’s performance in
school.2

The deprivations caused by a lack of safe water and sanitation can compound and affect children’s
health, education and future prospects, creating a cycle of inequality that affects generations.

A change in climate is felt through a change in water.

The effects of climate change intensify the multiple risks contributing to an unfolding water crisis by
reducing the quantity and quality of water, contaminating water reserves, and disrupting water and
sanitation systems. Rising temperatures, greater frequency and severity of droughts and floods,
melting

snow and ice, and rising sea levels, all threaten the water supplies that children rely on and can
undermine safe sanitation and hygiene practices.

Rising temperatures increase the atmosphere’s water storage capacity, which essentially reduces
water availability on the ground, particularly during the warmer months of the year. Then, when the
air eventually cools, more intense rainfall occurs.3 This can lead to increased frequency and
intensity of tropical cyclones and other extreme weather events.

Rising temperatures also impact water by creating an environment for bacteria, protozoa and algae
to grow, which can lead to illness and death in children.4

More frequent and extreme heatwaves will result in a higher demand for water. Higher
temperatures mean that more water for plants, animals and humans evaporates into the
atmosphere, increasing demand for already dwindling water sources.

Droughts pose a variety of disastrous risks to children. As temperatures rise, more moisture
evaporates from land and water, leaving less water behind for human consumption. Most droughts
are slow-onset in nature, but they can be more acute when they occur in arid zones or happen in
combination with heatwaves.5

For children, dehydration occurs quickly and can be deadly. With less water available, children will
eat less nutritious foods and will often have to walk long distances to collect water, missing out on
school and other important childhood activities. Without water, many families are forced to migrate
in search of it.

A lack of water also inhibits good sanitation and hygiene practices, as supplies are rationed to meet a
family’s immediate survival needs – drinking and food preparation. This means that practices such as
hand washing and toilet cleaning are often minimized in order to conserve water.

Flooding and increased precipitation can be deadly in areas with unsafe water and sanitation
services, or where open defecation is practised. Floods can destroy or damage infrastructure such as
water distribution points and toilets. When latrines and toilets are flooded, they can contaminate
water supplies, making water deadly to drink. Recurring floods can cause communities to abandon
safe sanitation and hygiene practices and return to defecating in the open.
Peaks in diarrhoeal mortality and morbidity are commonly associated with seasonal rains, flooding
and extreme weather.6 Cholera, for example, spreads through contaminated water and can kill
children within hours if left untreated.

6 Thirsting for a Future: Water and children in a changing climate

The risk of vector-borne diseases for children also rises with heavy rainfall. That risk escalates with
floods − especially where a lack of drainage systems creates stagnant water. Stagnant water
increases dangers because it creates favourable breeding conditions for the mosquitoes that
transmit such vector-borne diseases as malaria, dengue or Zika.7 Vector-borne diseases account for
more than 17 per cent of all infectious diseases, causing more than 1 million deaths annually.8

Melting snow, glaciers and sea ice impact access to water in the present and greatly threaten to
change water sources in the future. Around 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater is ice and
permanent snow cover located in Antarctic, Arctic and mountainous regions.9 As ice melts, it not
only contributes to rising sea levels, but also depletes other freshwater resources. According to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this ice and snow cover is decreasing significantly in
most regions because of global warming.

Rising sea levels can lead to saltwater infiltrating freshwater sources, rendering the water
undrinkable. Rising sea levels are already having a major impact, particularly in low-lying coastal
areas and Small Island Developing States, which, when combined, are home to at least 25 per cent of
the world’s population.10 These regions have less than 10 per cent of the global renewable water
supply, leaving populations dependent on groundwater sources – which are highly vulnerable to the
impacts of salinization.11

This crisis is not inevitable, if we act now.

There are actions that can be taken at a community, state, national and global level to protect
children from the worst impacts of climate change. This includes developing resilient water and
sanitation services, particularly in areas that will be hardest hit by climate change.

At the community level: Communities can play an important role in creating more-resilient water
and sanitation systems. This might involve diversifying sources of drinking water or increasing
storage capacity. In areas prone to flooding and extreme weather, communities can work together
to reinforce safe sanitation behaviours to deter open defecation, and to work with local markets to
establish affordable and resilient sanitation solutions.

At the sub-national level: At a sub-national level, a strong understanding of available water

resources and patterns of use is needed to inform management and planning. In some areas, it will
include investing in the protection of river basins and the systematic testing of water quality. Above
all, it means prioritizing the most vulnerable children’s access to safe water above other water needs
to maximize social and health outcomes.

At the national level: For governments, policies need to be in place to plan for future changes in
water supply and demand, and

7
to adapt to climate risks. This includes carrying out climate risk assessments and compiling data on
the impacts of water stress and climate change on water and sanitation services. Risks should be
integrated into national water and sanitation policies, strategies and plans, and high-risk populations
should be targeted with investment.

At the global level: Action is fuelled by knowledge. More data and evidence are needed to inform
global advocacy efforts. Governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), United Nations
agencies, private sector actors, and civil society need to harmonize and align in global action.
Children are an important part of the solution and should be given opportunities to actively engage
and contribute to climate activities and policies.

Climate change is not just an environmental crisis, it is also a crisis for children.

One of the most effective ways to protect children in the face of climate change is to safeguard their
access to safe water and sanitation. Only then, can we begin to create a brighter future, for every
child.

 Some people do
not have water to drink and they are compelled to drink unsafe water, which
is full of darts. These small dangerous bacteria make the people sick and it is
more painful to say that if some people in Pakistan have a small amount of
water they start wasting it; they do not bother to save water for the poor.

Water is a source of life but unfortunately, Pakistan is in the grip of

its scarcity, which has disturbed the whole national life. The
aggravating crisis is gnawing at the public mind and, regrettably, it
has considerably contributed towards straining national harmony
and there are no sings of tiding over this grim situation.

With the gradual depletion of water resources, the precarious

situation is further embittered by the shortage of rainfall which is so
essential for the agriculture sector. This deteriorating state has
accentuated the feelings of deprivation among the smaller
provinces. Exploiting the situation the hard liners in the areas have
embarked on lashing Punjab with a heavy stick for its alleged
neglect in resolving the share of water and usurping their share.

Pakistan, according to experts, is going through the worst water

shortage of history. The current drought in Sindh and Baluchistan
has shattered the economy as well as agriculture of the country.
Back in fifties, Quetta was considered Pakistan’s prime orchard,
which provided fruit for the country and for export as well. However
now many growi9ng areas are in critical situation, threatened by
over use of ground water and natural droughts.

The alarming drop in water level has also led to a serious shortfall in hydal
power. And these are genuine apprehensions if the situation lingers on for
sometime more, the energy crisis would deepen as soon as the water level
goes further down in Mangla and Tarbela.

Water shortage has badly affected the agricultural sector of Pakistan which
heavily depends on agro based economy. The agricultural lands of the Punjab
and Sindh, mostly depend on canal water irrigation because in some areas
underground water is brackish. Present water crisis, if allowed to continue,
would reduce the production of wheat, rice and sugarcane etc. Briefly water
crisis in the country has spread deep concern. The shortage is threatening to
create famine like condition across Pakistan.

Water scarcity produces a complex web of impacts that spans many sectors
of the economy and reaches well beyond the area experiencing physical
drought. Pakistan has been caught in the same on the whole national life of
the country.

The direct impacts of water crises in Pakistan have reduced crop, range land,
forest productivity and water level. On the other hand, it has increased
livestock, wildlife and human beings mortality rates and damaged the wildlife
and fish habitats. Direct or primary impacts becomes so diffuse that it’s very
difficult to come up with financial estimates of damages.

There are also some social impacts of water crisis in Pakistan, which have
mainly involved public safety, health problems, and conflicts between the
provinces over water usage. It has also reduced the quality of life.

Environmental losses in Pakistan are the result of damages to plant and

animal species, wildlife, air and water quality, degradation of landscape
quality, the loss of biodiversity and the social erosion, caused by the drought.
the demography of Pakistan has also changed due to migration of affected
population to the already over populated cities. It may increase pressure on
the social infrastructure of the country which may enhance poverty, social
unrest and ethnicity.

The genesis of the issue is a fact universally acknowledged that water crisis
is the national concomitant of our own making. We were fully conscious of the
fact that our salvation lay only in building dams, but we conveniently glossed
over the problem and remained totally oblivious of the dire consequences. All
our past governments continued lasting on the strings of building the
Kalabagh Dam, but succumbing to the pressure of vested interests, the issue
was each time shelved. In case of our inability to withstand pressure
conserving building of Kalabagh, alternately, we could have focused our
attention on construction of smaller dams. We did not do the either. Hence
the present catastrophe!

World wide experience with governments developing and allocating scarce

resources have been a failure, as demonstrated by the Soviet Union’s
collapse. Similarly government control of water in Pakistan, as in most
counties, has been ineffective at allocating water to where it is most needed.
Neither has it succeeded in ensuring the cost effective design, construction
and drainage infrastructure nor in preventing soil salinity and environmental
degradation.

Mismanagement in production and delivery of this valuable resource has

compounded the problem. Many public investments in irrigation and drainage
were inappropriately designed, expensively constructed and a re being poorly
operated and maintained which has resulted in a severe water crisis in the
country.

The general behavior of the masses towards water as to take it a free

commodity is one of the main causes about its wastage. They do not care I
for wasting billions of gallons of water, daily without using it.

The historical background of the issue irradiates that at the time of partition
of sub continent when the province of the Punjab was divided into two parts
i.e. the Western Punjab and the Eastern Punjab, the former was linked with
Pakistan and the latter remained with India, it gave rise to a serious dispute
about the distribution of water between the two states. The two main rivers
Ravi and Sutlej along with their respective headworks of Madhopur and
Ferozpur were in East Punjab. India claimed tht it had complete right over
these rivers as they originated from Indian territory and their respective head
works were in India. While Pakistan claimed that under the international law
it had a right, to the water of Rivers Ravi and Sutlej as its economy was
dependent on it. India proposed that a joint commission be set up in which
outstanding questions could be resolved. The Pakistani government insisted
for the dispute to be settled legally by the international court of justice.
Moreover the dispute was related to the Kashmir question, as other three
rivers flowed into Pakistan from Indian held Kashmir, namely, the Indus,
Jhelum and the Chenab. Pakistan faced such critical situation as it could not
refer the dispute over rivers to the arbitral tribune which was established but
eh British grown to settle the issues arising between Pakistan and India at
the time of partition.

Later on the water dispute was resolved through a treaty, named “Indus
Water Treaty” in 1960 with the mediation of the World Bank. Through which
Pakistan succeeded in managing the scarcity of water by building
alternatives i.e. various barrages, link canals and huge dams likes Terbella
and Mangla but at the same time it was deprived off from its official right over
three rivers; Ravi , Sutlej and Beas, as the were given to India and Pakistan
was given its full right over the other three rivers i.e. Indus, Jhelum and the
Chenab. The main gain for Pakistan at the time, was that India could not
legally interfere with the water coming through the Indus, Jhelum and
Chenab.

Pakistan designed and built Mangla Dam on river Jhelum, keeping in view the
assurances made by India in “Indus water Treaty”. But India backed out of its
promises and assurances and started constructing a barrage named “Wullar
Barrage” on the same river i.e Jhelum in its occupied valley of Kashmir.
Pakistan protested against the construction of the barrage and argued that it
was not only against the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty but also had
serious ramifications for its economy. India claimed that the project would
only regulate water flow in the river Jhelum and was beneficial to the hydro
electric power projects down stream in both sides of the valley. After several
rounds of talks between both the parties, an agreement was drafted on the
dispute, which would allow India to build the Barrage but under specified
conditions regarding the quantum of water to be resorted and released. As a
matter of fact by constructing the barrage, India gained control over the
water of river Jhelum, releasing or withholding it at will depriving Pakistan
from a huge quantity of water legally belonging to it. Due to the construction
of the barrage the silt in the Mangla Dam has increased and the life span and
the agriculture sector of Pakistan.

No doubt all the barrages, dams and canals played a vital role in the
agricultural sector, but at the same time it has proved itself a severe danger
for the soil fertilization, causing water logging and salinity due to natural
percolation of water from the banks of the canals.

Moreover a huge amount of water is wasted through percolation which itself

has caused scarcity of water in its availability for agricultural lands.

The population of Pakistan, which has increased up to a level where exists a

vast gulf between the consumers and the available resources. As more
population requires per person more amount of between increasing population
and decreasing water quantity.

On the other hand the government of Pakistan did a little to over come and to
manage the existing and the coming severe scarcity of water which has
resulted in the form of drought in many parts of the country.

However the Water accord of 1991, among all the provinces of Pakistan holds
much importance in the history of Pakistan. As prior to this accord water was
distributed amongst the four provinces on ad hoc basis on year to year. The
interim arrangements were neither based on coherent policies nor consistent
regulation practices and did not take into account optional harassing of
widely fluctuating river flows and future regulate the distribution and redress
provincial grievances.

After the singing of this historic accord and by establishing regulatory

institution named “Indus River System Authority”, the distribution of water
was started according to demand as per indents from the provinces. The
authority has played a vital role in the prevailing situation of natural drought
and depleted storage of water in the dams. It has acted with high
professionalism and has managed the distribution affairs skillfully.

Keeping in view the prevailing critical situation regarding water crisis in the
country, the present military regime has succeeded in launching its “2025
Vision Progrmme” which is a bold step towards a better management. It is a
mega plan for water resources and hydro water development. The objects of
the plan are to bail out the country form water crises, to relish the decrease
in capacity of existing reservoir and to develop maximum possible water
reservoir for the agri sector. The program mainly involves the projects of
‘Gomal Zam Dam, Greater Thal Canal, Chasma Right Bank Canal, Quetta
water Project, Katchi Canal, Reini Canal and to raise the height of Mngla Dam,
which are proposed to build in various parts of the country. The plan is real
effort to overcome water shortage as well to minimize the sense of
deprivation among the provinces, to strengthen the federation and to remove
provincial disharmony.

Water being a valuable basic ingredient, it needs to be saved at all cost for
the survival of human and animal life. No doubt, it is our sacred duty to do so.

to overcome the existing water crises, proper use of water in agricultural

sector is needed which requires fresh water but a huge amount of water is
wasted before reaching the crop.

The total availability of water irrigation can be increased by building water

reservoirs and tapping the ground potential and better management, which
aims at reducing the transit or conveyance losses and promoting improved
agronomical practices on the farm.

It is also proposed that form the water flowing out to the sea of which a
substantial quantity can be sorted through building dam of wastage of water
from canal through percolation can be saved by lining them.

The increasing problem of availability of pure drinking water can be handled

by drilling more and more tube wells in the rural areas especially in Thar and
Balochistan. Moreover inexpensive drinking water can be obtained in coastal
areas by installing low cost water treatment plants that use solar energy for
the desalination of sea water the treated water can be supplied to coastal
areas by pumping stations. The process not only ensures the availability of
abundant clean drinking water, but also provides employment to the locals.
The salt obtained from this process can be used in commercial and industrial
applications.

The proposed Kalabagh Dam which is said to be guarantee of a prosperous

Pakistan should be dealt without any regional and political bias. After
safeguarding the national interest and protecting the reservation of the
provinces it must be constructed.

So conceived in this way that the current scenario is however, much gloomier
because of stagnating water availability. The very sustainability of agriculture
appears to be jeopardized due to escalating water demand, limited water
resources and environmental concerns. The solution of prevailing water
scarcity requires national consensus over proposed projects and their
implementation in letter and spirit. The politicians should stop meddling in the
construction of new reservoir in greater interest of the country and its
inhabitants as it is being done in other societies.