Running out of water

Water scarcity presents a transnational problem which has the capability to seriously affect both agriculture and industrial sector productivity. Pakistan has little capacity to store water as compared with India, China and America’s. Water scarcity is a serious issue because of which Pakistan may completely dry up by 2025. Although the country is blessed with one of the world’s best and largest irrigation system, it has failed to get maximum benefit from the system by utilising it efficiently. Presently, per capita availability of water is just 1,000 cubic metres.

Challenges related to global warming such as rising sea level, high temperatures, frequency of floods, high frequency of droughts and melting of glaciers are also confronting the country. It merits a mention that the country receives 145 million acres feet of water every year, but only 14 million acres feet of water is preserved. The country needs concrete steps for resolving the water issue such as adoption of water efficient technologies and the installation of a proper water safety and saving system. Successful reforms in the water sector needs to be accompanied by improvements in the agricultural production techniques, recycling plants and construction of small and large dams.

Khan Faraz

Peshawar