Water Resources of Pakistan and Need for Specialized Education
By Iqtidar H. Siddiqui
Karachi, Pakistan
Water is the greatest gift of nature to this planet because of which all forms of life have become possible.
Pakistan is one of those areas of this planet which has been endowed by nature with plentiful renewable water resources, which include snowmelt from high snow clad mountains, huge glaciers fields and adequate rainfall in the basin of Indus River. This water is drained through the Indus River system through the basin. Though, water is the biggest natural resource of Pakistan yet, due to many reasons and specially due to massive wastages and extravagance in its use by users community, it is fast becoming a diminishing resource.
At the time of its birth, per capita availability of water in the country was about 5,000 cubic meters per person. However, during 65 years or so since its birth the availability of water has reduced to only 1,000 cubic meters per person. The reason for this is the phenomenal rise of population in the country.
Water availability in the country is seasonal. In cold weather water availability is the least. However, in hot and rainy season, water availability swells several times. The availability of water in the country is being threatened negatively due to the climate changes. Climate changes are also threatening the coastal areas of Pakistan with their permanent submergence by sea level rise.
Among water’s many uses, the important ones are those which sustain life, i.e., its domestic and agricultural uses along with production of cheap hydro-electricity, which is important for the country because it turns the wheels of the industry. Unfortunately this important resource is being managed poorly.
For domestic use, provision of clean drinking water is most important. However, the country is generally compromising on waters quality, which is risking the health of the whole population and raising the cost of the country’s health bills. The reason is that the facilities available with urban water distribution utilities are either not up to date or are manned by those who need modern education.
Similarly, a section of the population of the country prefers to let precious water run into the sea instead of allowing it to be stored for future use in agriculture and also letting it pass through the turbines to produce cheap hydro power. Because of these practices the country has to undergo18 to 20 hours of load-shedding every day. Prolonged load-shedding and rising cost of the health bills have ruined the economy of the country.
Both these problems are multifaceted and a direct result of lack of education and proper understanding about the management and use of water. With education and serious efforts these problems can be overcome.
Water availability is being threatened by several factors and practices.
Water of Indus river basin is being shared by Pakistan and India. The sharing of the water is being regulated by a Treaty, which is called the Indus Water Treaty 1960. When the Treaty was signed in 1960 it was hoped that it would put an end to mistrust and misunderstandings between South Asia’s two important countries, India and Pakistan. However, after 54 years, Pakistan is badly disappointed on the repeated violations of the Treaty by India. So far at least eight violations have been reported.
Moreover, the country has noticed massive wastages and extravagance in the use of water in several areas. In normal years Pakistan loses as much as 35 MAF of water to the sea which goes unutilized annually.
In addition, every year during rainy seasons floods of different magnitudes are generated. The flood waters which are additional gift of nature and which should be stored and used later for power generation and for irrigation in water short periods are however, wasted and make their way to the sea.
In 2010 about 60 MAF of flood water was wasted whereas in 2011 about the same amount of water was again wasted and lost to the sea. In addition, extravagance has specially been noticed in the use of water in agriculture sector. Such massive wastages and extravagance in its use are inexcusable in a country, which complains of water shortages during water short periods. The result of these wastages and extravagance is that the country has become the most water stressed country both for irrigation during water short periods. It generates far less hydro power from its potential. Imagine how Pakistan will manage its available water resources 40 years from now in a country which would then be inhabited by about 300 to 400 million populations (10 times its population of 1947).
Nearly every year, the country is forced to seek help from the world community at the cost of its national pride. Although, this situation is manageable to a large extent with the help of its own community, living within the country or abroad.
The problem of extravagance in the use of water and controlling its wastages is mostly due to lack of understanding and proper water education by the population. To understand the importance of water in its occurrence, usage and wastages to the sea, it is important to note that water which is made available to them is a value-added priced commodity and should be used economically. Since the availability of water is being threatened by negative impacts of climate changes in future, therefore, both short-term and long-term measures are required to be taken to correct the situation.
Short-term measures may solve immediate problems. However, those would be long-term measures, which are important and would solve the country’s water problems. They include development of human resources through education about water and environment. These actions should have been taken by now by those organizations, which are managing water resources in the country.
In the absence of their actions, private initiative is being taken by the Society for Conservation of Resources and Environment (SCORE). It has noticed that the problems of water shortages are huge but still surmountable by the country itself. Our one hundred and fifty five or more universities, teach all the subjects required to understand water. However, no university teaches to tackle water management problems. Therefore, SCORE wishes to establish, with the assistance of the United Nations and Americans of Pakistani decent and Friends of Pakistan, a specialized world class water institution at Karachi, Pakistan, to impart comprehensive education on various aspects of water for example assessment of its quantity; water quality for urban water; preservation and conservation for irrigation and production of cheap hydro electricity and its economical use. Most important aspect of this education would however, be management of water in various seasons for the betterment of the population.
(The writer is a former advisor of Water Resources for Asia and Pacific countries in the United Nations family at Bangkok and is now Chairman of Society for Conservation of Resources and Environment (SCORE), Pakistan.
To learn more about Pakistan water problems and proposed actions, please visit www.pakistanrivers.com .)
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