Experts say that the government’s incompetence, lack of strategy, and inadequate infrastructure result in the loss of approximately seven million acre feet of water to the sea every year. The decline in Pakistan’s water availability is largely due to the government’s poor management, lack of awareness, and political conflicts between provinces. The water crisis has also been exacerbated due to aggressive water engineering projects, such as building dams and irrigation channels, disrupting the natural flow of water to the Indus River.
Despite the creation of a National Water Policy in 2018 to address the emerging water crisis and guarantee sustainable management of water resources, there is still a lack of political will to implement these policies, which further perpetuates the mismanagement of water resources. Mismanagement of water resources has a significant impact on Pakistan’s agricultural sector, which is largely dependent on irrigation. This ultimately damages our economy by lowering agricultural productivity. To address the water scarcity crisis in Pakistan, efficient management of water resources is urgently needed.
Meraj Hayat
Kech