Pakistan’s Water Crisis: A Call to Action for Sustainable Management
Good and safe water is essential for a healthy life and a thriving economy. Pakistan must prioritize efficient water management to ensure this precious resource is well-spent and managed.
The focus on Water management should be of top priority for Pakistan as the nation starves for clean water and is also a leading cause of food insecurity. An alarming situation has already crossed the threshold as Pakistan fails to address critical water issues. The world closely monitors Pakistan due to its enduring resources, yet it still wrestles with water-related issues resulting from inefficient water management. Pakistan still faces a severe lack of safe water despite having a coastline, monsoon season, and access to various water resources such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals, and glaciers. Inefficient water management fuels the flames of this problem. While Pakistan has an excellent canal irrigation system, it relies heavily on flood irrigation, which wastes much water. Therefore, it would be a better option for Pakistan to adopt the ‘Drip Irrigation System,’ in which water is distributed slowly and evenly in the field using pipelines or tube lines with external emitters that deliver clean water directly to the plant roots where it is needed, thereby reducing water runoff.
The heavy monsoon rains and flash floods in July 2023 affected one-third of Pakistan’s population. Despite rainfall, Pakistan struggles to store rainwater due to a lack of knowledge regarding rainwater harvesting (RWH), other methods like surface water storage (such as building dams and reservoirs), watershed management, and more. The RWH system allows the collection of rainwater, and it should be implemented on both large and small scales, both in urban (such as rooftops, roadsides, and parks) and rural areas (including ponds, hillsides, and mini dams). Neglecting these practices could lead to recurring flash flood conditions, resulting in homelessness for many people.
With its vast coastline, Pakistan should take steps to purify seawater, which is negatively impacting the country’s sea wildlife and human health due to factors like improper disposal of industrial waste, sewage, and farming practices. These activities introduce heavy metals and harmful substances into the sea. The unchecked flow of untreated water makes the issue even worse, polluting water sources and farmlands and increasing hazardous substances in surface and groundwater. This contamination poses risks to people and aquatic ecosystems.
Industries must take responsibility for their wastewater and address any issues that harm the seawater and marine life. Through seafood exports, Pakistan has the potential to generate over $1 billion in revenue, which would significantly boost the economy. However, a ban was imposed in 2007 due to systematic failures in the quality assurance program for seafood exports, a problem that must be addressed. Industries have become a cause for concern due to their disposal of hazardous waste into the sea, including toxic substances, small metal particles, and plastics consumed by marine life. This pollution has led to hygiene and food safety issues, so a ban was enforced.
The water crisis in Pakistan has caused significant economic losses, affecting farming, increasing healthcare costs due to waterborne diseases, and causing environmental damage, including harm to fisheries, aquatic habitats, and the livelihoods of communities dependent on these resources. Additionally, it has damaged infrastructure due to frequent floods resulting from poor water management.
Reports suggest that 70 percent of households in Pakistan drink bacterially contaminated water. As of March 2023, approximately 10% of the population, or around 22 million people, still need access to clean water.
We can learn from countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Maldives, where Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination plants have successfully transformed seawater into drinking water. By setting up RO desalination plants along our coast, we can establish a new source of clean water for our citizens, reducing the pressure on existing sources and playing a critical role in addressing the water crisis.
