"The position is worsening with rapidly increasing population and is likely to further drop to about 860 cubic meters by 2025 representing acute water conditions. The minimum water requirement to avoid food and health constraints due to being a "water short country" is 1,000 meters per capita per year," says the policy.
According to the Ministry of Water and Power which presented the policy to the CCI the current situation calls for rapid development and management. Elaborating the country's water issues, Water and Power Ministry said that water resources are inexplicability linked with climate change scenario which has serious implications for Pakistan's water resources. The changing and more unpredictable precipitation patterns may have serious consequences including flash floods in the north and increased droughts in the southern plains. As the glaciers retreat, more glacial lakes will become increasingly common and hazardous in northern parts of the country.
Only by devising and implementing appropriate adoption measures will it be possible to ensure water, food and energy security for the country as well as to minimise the impact of natural disasters.
The Ministry further stated that the objective of the National Water Policy is to take cognisance of the existing situation and provide guidelines for future plan of actions. It is a national document and provides guidelines to the provinces to develop their water policies and strategies for implementation and sustainable development and management of water resources. The water resource is a national responsibility but irrigation and agriculture as well as rural and urban water supply, environment and other related concerns are provincial subjects, particularly after the 18th Constitutional amendment.
Some of the important concerns facing the water sector are: (i) fresh water is a finite resource, progressively, becoming more scare due to persistent increases in its competing demands; (ii) water scarcity can hamper the health and well being of people and if not attended to properly, Pakistan's future generations could be lost to ravages of hunger; (iii) geographical location of Pakistan places the country in heat surplus zone on earth making it very high on the vulnerability scale of climate change with considerable increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and erratic monsoon rain which stands demonstrated in the past drought and unprecedented floods of 2010; (iv) existing and planned trans-boundary developments on the western rivers could further impact on water availability to the disadvantage of Pakistan; (v) The Indus Basin Replacement works ( dams in particular) have approached the end of their designed life span requiring replacement storages; (vi) different regions in the country are endowed differently with water in the form of precipitation, surface flow and ground water and there is increased stress on sharing water resources; (vii) lack of equity in water allowances of various canal commands is causing water and salt imbalances at regional level; (viii) salt balances in irrigated lands are already negative and with the passage of time and soil quality would deteriorate and crop yield drop; (ix) bulk of drinking water requirement is met by groundwater which is depleting and its quality is deteriorating; (x) clear role for jurisdiction needs to be determined for federal and provincial water related agencies in view of the recent amendments in the Constitution; (xii) there is no serious effort in using the treated sewage water to reduce sweet water demand; (xiii) there is lack of awareness amongst general public about impending danger of water scarcity and the lavish wastage of sweet water as well as overwatering of crops as an accepted norm with total disregard to its serious ramifications in the future; (xiv) sea water exists as a source of water, no efforts has been made for its use after treatment in the light of international best practices; (xv) irrigated agriculture is spearhead of national economy and low irrigation efficiency vis-à-vis water productivity is a major challenge leading to lower growth of sector; and (xvi) it is deemed prudent to ensure water security for the people of the country through a National Water Policy (NWP) laying down the outlines of an integrated water management strategy that aims at maximising the sustainable economic, social and environmental returns on the water resource development, allocation among its competing demands as well as its judicious use by consumers and safe disposal of post-use effluents.
The following are the main policy objectives: (i) sustainable exploration of the available water resources of the country through reservoirs, conservation and efficient use; (ii) improving availability, reliability and quality of fresh water resources to meet critical municipal, agriculture, energy, security and environment needs; (iii) hydropower development for economic growth; (iv) providing food security, expanding water availability to help adapt to climate change population and other large scale stresses; (v) treatment and possible reuse of waste water, domestic, agriculture and industrial; (vi) upgrading water sector information system for improved management of water resources; (vii) improving watershed management through extensive soil conservation catchment area treatment, preservation of forecast and increasing forest cover; (viii) flood management to mitigate floods and minimise flood damages;(ix) drought management with emphasis on long-term vulnerability reduction; (ix) security of benefit streams of the water related infrastructure for sustained provisions of services; (x) controlling groundwater pumping, discouraging over-abstraction and promoting aquifer recharge; and (xi) adequate water pricing (Abiana) for proper operation and maintenance of the irrigation system and its long term sustainability.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017