The chief engineer Federal Flood Commission informed the committee members that the global climate change is an emerging concern including variation in inflows to water reservoirs and water shortage for agriculture. The climate change was also contributing to insufficient recharge of groundwater and sharp decline in per capita water availability, he said.
He informed the committee members that the mean temperature has risen after 1950 over Pakistan was twice as fast as the global mean change. He further informed the committee that the per capita water availability in Pakistan at present is around 865 cubic meters which is likely to reduce further to 850 cubic meters in 2025. The water resources sector is both the lifeline and gear of development in Pakistan, he said, adding that the Indus River System being the main source of water has become vulnerable, he said.
The chief engineer said that the water vulnerability is due to increased variability in river flows due to glaciers' retreat, depletion of water storage capacity, riverine floods, and droughts, change in frequency and intensifying of extreme climate events. The committee recommended that the government should enhance the allocation of funds according to their requirements in terms of projects including the construction of Mangi Dam in Quetta and two other projects for construction of 300 small dams in Qilla Abdullah.
The committee also recommended that a fulltime Pakistan Commissioner for Indus River Treaty should be appointed on priority basis. A separate Trans-Border Institute over water resources should be established to strengthen the mandate and capacity building of relevant institutions, the committee recommended. It also recommended that the coordination with provinces should be further enhanced over the groundwater level regulations.