News
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Pakistan braving challenges of climate change
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, like other developing countries of the world, is confronting severe water crises and required proper management rather than construction of more and more infrastructure, was the message of the two-day conference on “water governance in federal systems: facing the challenges of climate change”.
Centre for Civic Education and Forum of Federations (CCEFF) arranged the conference on Monday. Experts at the conference said that since the last 60 years, the government had invested billion of rupees in the establishment of infrastructure of water but it had not managed the infrastructure properly.
Managing water is a critical issue in Pakistan, where the water level on decline trend while on other side the flood has caused devastation in different parts of the country both this and last year.
If there is any world war that would be on water he apprehended. Water expert and former advisor to the Sindh Chief Minister Dr Kaiser Bengali said that after 18th Amendment, the federal government transferred most of the responsibilities to provinces. Provinces have to manage water efficiently otherwise the power would go back automatically to federation.
There are water disputes among the federating units and they have to decide it properly. The water crises are too high and challenges are great, he maintained.
Bengali further said there is an urgent need to check and monitor the climate change, which may result untimely rains and floods. Strong Flood Management Cell, need of the hour keeping in view current and last year floods, which badly damaged national infrastructure apart from human losses. There are issues of small dams, hydropower generation, coastal and other water related issues.
According to an estimate, he said there are about 250 mm average rains across the country, which is less than the world.
The annual water flow is on decline and Pakistan has several fiscal constraints to construct more water reservoirs. There are some water systems that could not clean for the last 20 years. There was an urgent need for conservation of water. Unluckily, he said the government has no priority to mange the water system and run it on temporary system. He advised that we should stop the blame game and finger pointing other provinces and should work for development at provincial level.
Peshawar University Department of Environmental Sciences Professor Dr Shafqur Rahman explained the implications of climate change on Pakistan, need for preparatory measures. He further said that climate change had serious implication on country and stressed the need for proper arrangements.
The scientific study need of the hour to address this important issue, he said, adding that 85 per cent rain water passes from April to September and it required construction of big reservoirs so that water might be stores and utilized for irrigation and also for power generation.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk