World Water Day, observed on 22 March every year, is about focusing attention on the importance of water and spreading awareness to conserve it. Almost 84 per cent of Pakistan’s population do not have access to safe drinking water which is an alarming situation. You! takes a look...

Have you recently found yourself wondering how much water is left at your disposal? Can you imagine what your daily routine would be like if you didn’t have enough water? This should be the most pertinent concern today for every Pakistani who still cannot judge what kind of water scarcity this nation is going to face in the next five years. As the world heats up with climate change, the increasing lack of fresh water is causing conflicts around the globe that are affecting our energy and food supply. Pakistan is one of the countries currently facing an acute water shortage that is likely to wreck havoc in the coming years.

World Water Day, observed on 22 March every year, is about focusing attention on the importance of water and spreading awareness to conserve it. This year’s theme, ‘Leaving no one behind’, adapts the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that when sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit. According to UN-Water, billions of people are still living without safe water - their households, schools, workplaces, farms and factories are struggling to survive and thrive. Marginalised groups - women, children, refugees, indigenous and disabled people among many others - are often overlooked, and sometimes face discrimination, as they try to access and manage safe water which they need.

Water is a key driver for social and economic growth and contributes to the well-being of the people. In case of Pakistan, it plays an integral role in productive processes and contributes significantly to agriculture, industrial, energy, transport and economic sectors.

A report published by IMF last year mentions that Pakistan is among the world’s 36 most water-stressed countries, with its agricultural, domestic, and industrial sectors scoring high on the World Resource Institute’s water stress index.

For Pakistan, per capita annual water availability has dropped, fundamentally due to population growth, from 5,600 cubic meters at independence to the current level of 1,017 cubic meters, and is projected to decline further under the current infrastructure and institutional conditions. Demand for water is on the rise, projected to reach 274 million acre-feet (MAF) by 2025, while supply is expected to remain stagnant at 191 MAF, resulting in a demand-supply gap of approximately 83 MAF.

Almost 84 per cent of Pakistan’s population do not have access to safe drinking water which is an alarming number given the fact majority of them live under the poverty line. A detailed report published by Hisaar Foundation in 2012 - a foundation for water, food and livelihood security - explains how the water is supplied nationwide. Pakistan’s water resources are derived from natural precipitation (rain and snow), surface water and groundwater. It is the Indus River and its tributaries that constitute the main source of water supply in Pakistan. But against the average annual inflow of 140 MAF, there is large annual fluctuation and seasonal variation. Most of the urban water is supplied from groundwater except for cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, and parts of Islamabad, which mainly use surface water. System or line losses are a major issue in water supply of urban areas. In Karachi, for instance, losses are approximately 40 per cent of the total bulk water supply to the city. The quality of water supplied at the consumer point is poor as a result of contamination in the old and rusty distribution networks. Tests carried out by Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), as part of a national water quality monitoring programme, revealed that water in many cities of Pakistan was unsafe for human consumption due to bacterial and chemical contamination. Almost 50 per cent of the samples in 17 cities were found to be unfit for human consumption. According to the study, the overall deterioration in groundwater can be associated with indiscriminate and improper disposal of sewage and industrial effluents including persistent toxic, synthetic organic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides products, municipal waste, and untreated sewage water into freshwater bodies.

“Whether we will run out of water or not is a very relative term because if you ask some people in Karachi, for them, water has already run out,” tells Tofiq Pasha Mooraj, renowned horticulturist and one of the founding members of Hisaar Foundation. “When we say ‘water scarcity’, it actually means the growing difference in the demand and supply of it and ours has exceeded the supply. To understand this situation, one needs to have a holistic view. Due to the rise in temperature, the glaciers are melting really fast and some of them have melted more than 50 per cent and even more. The water that flows in our River Indus is glacier melt, not flood water. If we don’t have glaciers that means we won’t have a river. A river is a living being that has its own ecology. If you cut out the flow of the water, it will die. It has life and sustains the ecology around it, and within. There are a few rivers that have gone extinct in Pakistan due to change in rainfall patterns and the whole environment have been desertified. Another thing is that we are living in a concrete jungle and that has caused the land to lose its ability to absorb water. There used to be a lot of groundwater in Karachi, but that fresh water resource is depleting.”

In light of this, building climate resilient economies that can develop and grow in face of water scarcity is crucial. Since poverty-stricken areas are the first ones to get affected, it will require improved methods of allocating scarce water resources across sectors to higher-value uses; along with smart water policies and well-planned investments from all sectors that can yield significant benefits in improving welfare and enhancing economic growth.

To combat this problem, a collective effort is required with the government, stakeholders and the people. While there is a lingering debate of the Kalabagh Dam, around 50 operational dams have been constructed in Sindh to reach water needs of far-flung areas. Moreover, as many as 31 new dams are under construction while some eight areas are under the tendering process, according to the news reports. Apart from the government, big corporations are also taking measures to be mindful of how they use their resources.

Talking about the role of corporate sector - with regard to water conservation as part of their CSR activities - Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs at Nestle Pakistan, explains, “As part of our ‘Caring for Water - Pakistan’ initiative and collective action approach, we have partnered with organisations such as LUMS, UVAS, WWF Pakistan, SDPI and PARC to address the shared water challenges. Water is critical to every part of our value chain, from farm to factory. Being an industry leader; people, the Government and civil society expect it from us when it comes to water management. This is why we have identified opportunities to optimise water usage in factories, watershed, agriculture and communities. As part of our Agricultural Efficiency Project, we have installed drip irrigation on 107 acres with an estimated water saving of 301 million liters in 2018. Nestle’s Sheikhupura and Islamabad factories have been certified by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. Our initiative is also in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal - 6 on clean water and sanitation.”

Apart from taking measures on an individual level to a decision-making level, it is imperative to tackle the issue of water scarcity with a holistic approach to water resources amongst the stakeholders. Changing the way people think and behave, and showing that groups can come together, work together and make themselves accountable to other groups can help alleviate the problem. Mutual accountability will thus ensure that fellow country men, women and children consume and manage water in a conscientious manner.

How can we make a difference?

Turn off the taps: Water comes out of the average faucet at 2.5 gallons per minute. Don’t let all that water go down the drain while you brush, wash hands, shower, do dishes or other chores.

Choose effiecient fixtures: Choosing efficient shower heads, and opting for a Water Sense rated washing machine can add up to big water savings.

Reuse greywater: Water from sinks, showers, dishwashers, and clothes washers are the most common household examples of greywater. One way or another, avoid putting water down the drain when you can use it for something else.

Harvest the rainwater: Rain cisterns come in all shapes and sizes ranging from larger underground systems to smaller, freestanding ones. Some even glow!

Keep your eyes open: Report broken pipes, open hydrants, and excessive waste. Don’t be shy about pointing out leaks to your friends and family members, either. Water is a precious resource, be mindful when using it.