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akistan is running out of drinking water. The International Institute for Sustainable Development points out that Pakistan is already a water-stressed country. If the current trends continue, it could become a water-scarce country by 2035. This is not sustainable. If this challenge remains unaddressed, it will weaken the social fabric of Pakistani society. Access to ample water is crucial for any country to commence sustainable social and economic development. Pakistan is not an exception to this rules. Water is certainly more precious than diamonds and gold. Therefore, Pakistan must do all it can to conserve water.
A rapid increase in population is the key reason for diminishing per capita water availability in the country. According to the UNFPA, Pakistan has over 240 million people. Its population is expected to reach 403 million by 2050. It’s around 1.7 times the increase in the existing population with the same water resources. Consequently, per capita water availability in Pakistan will decrease sharply. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics has pointed out that the urban population in the country will exponentially increase from 81 million (in 2022) to 160 million (in 2050). Unfortunately, the PIDE has also pointed out that, 97.5 million people in cities will experience water scarcity by 2050. Pakistan cannot afford thirsty cities. Thus it must control an exponential increase in its population.
We must understand the importance of each drop of water. It is essential to invest public policy attention and financial resources in increasing public awareness to reduce water waste in households, industries and agriculture. Maqbool, in Pakistan’s Urban Water Challenges and Prospects, says that cities in Pakistan lose over a third of their water due to either leaks in piping systems or theft from water distribution networks. It is pivotal that the country invest resources in developing infrastructure to reclaim wastewater, fix leaks and curb water theft.
There is a dire need for Pakistan to invest massively in wastewater treatment plants so that the country can recover more water from wastewater that can then be used for its various needs. Singapore can serve as an excellent example for Pakistan in this regard. As per the World Economic Forum, the former takes wastewater from sewers and subjects it to a high-tech filtration system where viruses, bacteria and other impurities are removed. Once high-tech filtration is done, the resulting water then bears ultraviolet rays in the second step that disinfects water from any of the remaining impurities. Once the UV disinfection is done, the water is clean, safe and drinkable. It can be used in agriculture, industry and in households.
We must focus on increasing per capita water availability in Pakistan. The policymakers should prioritise sustainable water resource management in our urban areas. As discussed earlier, an increase in population is inversely related to per capita water availability. To meet the water scarcity challenge, Pakistan must implement sustainable practices. Harvesting rainwater, reclaiming wastewater, fixing leaks and building a series of large, medium and small dams are a few steps to strengthen water availability in Pakistan.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the Bahamas, the Maldives and Malta meet all their water needs through seawater desalination. Seawater desalination can also help Pakistan. However, it is crucial to point out that seawater desalination is an extremely energy-intensive process. Pakistan is blessed with ample renewable energy potential. The World Bank says that if Pakistan as much as 1 percent of its geographical area for solar PV installation, it can produce all the electricity it needs. Brine, a by-product of seawater desalination, contains chlorine, copper and salt. We need to develop technologies to extract these minerals from brine and use them in industrial processes.
Dr Ishrat Husain writes in The Economy of Sindh that Karachi, home to more than 16 million people, generates a quarter of Pakistan’s GDP. He says the country should focus on fulfilling Karachi’s water needs through seawater desalination powered by renewable energy. The city of Karachi, he says, should also prioritise sustainable water resource management and recover materials from brine and use them in industrial processes.
We need to tackle the water mismanagement problem head-on. A combination of strategies including population control, construction of wastewater reclamation plants, fixing leaks in water pipes and building more dams and seawater desalination plants can increase per capita water availability. We cannot take this for granted since our survival will depend on how well we manage our water resources. We must eliminate all structural inefficiencies in water resource management and understand the significance of each drop of water.
The writer is a Stockholm-based policy analyst and the founding operations manager of Project Green Earth (www.projectge.org). He can be reached at aubhameediyahoo.com