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DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE u s s I , 3 e m u l o

PAKISTAN V

Water Security in Pakistan: Issues and Challenges DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE PAKISTAN © UNDP Pakistan

Development Advocate Pakistan provides a platform for the exchange of ideas on key development issues DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE and challenges in Pakistan. Focusing on a specific development theme in each edition, this quarterly publication fosters public discourse and presents varying perspectives from civil society, academia, PAKISTAN government and development partners. The publication makes an explicit effort to include the voices of women and youth in the ongoing discourse. A combination of analysis and public opinion articles promote and inform debate on development ideas Disclaimer while presenting up-to-date information. The views expressed here by external contributors or the members of the editorial board do not necessarily reflect the official views of the organizations they work for and that of UNDP’s. Editorial Board Editor Ignacio Artaza Zuriarrain Maheen Hassan UNDP Country Director

Mr. Shakeel Ahmad Design and Layout Assistant Country Director/Chief Hasnat Ahmed Development Policy Unit Printed by: Mr. Aadil Mansoor Maryah Printers, Islamabad Assistant Country Director/Chief Crisis Prevention and Recovery Unit United Nations Development Programme Pakistan Mr. Amir Goraya 4th Floor, Serena Business Complex, Assistant Country Director/Chief Khayaban-e-Suharwardy, Sector G-5/1, Democratic Governance Unit P. O. Box 1051, Mr. Amanullah Khan Islamabad, Pakistan Assistant Country Director/Chief Environment and Climate Change Unit For contributions and feedback, please write to us at: Mr. James Littleton [email protected] Chief Technical Advisor Strengthening Electoral and Legislative Processes

Ms. Fatimah Inayet ISBN: 969-978-8736-16-3 Communications Analyst December 2016 CONTENTS

Prof. Dr. Abdul Latif Qureshi 30 Professor Analysis U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W) Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Water Sector of Pakistan: 02 A Situational Analysis

Opinion Youth Voices

10 Water Management In The 32 Farhan Laghari Indus Basin: Critical Aspects Khalid Mohtadullah 32 Fatima Fazal Water Governance in Agriculture 12 Nasar Hayat 32 Shahzad Hussain Dahri 15 Mainstreaming Women in the Water Sector: Old Challenges, Possible Solutions Simi Kamal, Kausar Hashmi 33 Ainulibad Shah

Impacts of Climate Change on 18 Gulnaz Aslam Water Resources of Pakistan 33 Dr. Saeed A. Asad 33 Shahid Latif Bhutto 22 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH): A case study on Pakistan Mian Muhammad Junaid

Interviews

Shams-ul-Mulk 26 Former Chairman Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)

Muhammad Tahir Anwar 27 Director General Federal Water Management Cell Ministry of National Food Security and Research

Dr. Muhammad Ashraf 28 Chairman Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) /undppakistan Sadia Tariq Usmani w us www.twitter.com/undp_pakistan 29 Head -Environment division Youth Affairs Committee, DMC Central (Karachi) Saleem Mandviwalla

ollo www www.pk.undp.org - Secretary of Environment, Youth Parliament- Provincial nominee for NFC Sindh F Sindh Cabinet (2016-17) © UNDP Pakistan Editorial Water Security: Pakistan's most Critical Development Challenge

“Water is not only for life … water is life.” This quote by the United Over the years, there were several attempts at both Federal and Nations Secretary-General reects the critical importance of water as Provincial levels to delineate the government's commitment a need that connects all aspects of human life. People’s well-being towards combating water issues. The National Climate Change and their economic development are profoundly linked to the Policy, for example, has provided appropriate action plans focusing availability and usability of water. Too little water at a time when it is on enhancing water storage and infrastructure, better water needed most, can mean drought and food insecurity. Too much resource management, enhancing institutional capacities and water—in the form of oods or storms—can devastate an entire creating awareness. However, more is needed in terms of implemen- population. Contaminated water, whether from human or industrial tation. Since the commissioning of the Mangla and Tarbela dams in sources, claims the lives of children and affects the health of the 1960's and 1970's respectively, Pakistan has not developed any communities worldwide, with far-reaching consequences. major water storage infrastructure. Consequently, water storage capacity has often receded to less than 30 days against the minimum It is in the context of this interconnection of water with other requirement of 120 days. Successful initiatives do exist, such as the development challenges that the Sustainable Development Goals 'Clean Drinking Water for All' project launched in Punjab, providing (SDGs) place great emphasis on ensuring availability and sustainable clean drinking water through installation of water ltration plants, management of water. This includes achieving universal and but major initiatives for provision of water and sanitation remain equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation limited. and hygiene for all, and ending open defecation with special attention given to the needs of women and girls. But while that is Addressing water issues require interventions at individual and state crucial, especially in Pakistan, water's place in the SDGs go well levels, focusing on both demand and supply. At an individual level, beyond access—taking into account critical issues such as inte- households and industries need to use water more efficiently and grated water resources management, efficiency of use, water judiciously. This also holds true for the agriculture sector, whereby quality, transboundary cooperation, water-related ecosystems, and ood irrigation and plantation of water intensive crop should be water-related disasters. controlled and regulated. In this regard, public education campaigns that focus on enhancing water usage awareness will be helpful. At a Water associated problems are amongst the key challenges faced by broader level, an integrated water management system is needed Pakistan. Pakistan's water prole has changed drastically from being that promises efficient water distribution for all sub-sectors. This a water abundant country, to one experiencing water stress. needs to be formally entrenched through an effective institutional Between 1990 and 2015, per capita water availability declined from and legal system. While water related issues have been discussed as 2,172 cubic metres per inhabitant, to 1,306 cubic metres per part of the National Climate Change Policy and National Drinking inhabitant. Pakistan extracts 74.3 percent of its fresh water annually Water Policy, a holistic national water policy is required. Water thereby exerting tremendous pressure upon renewable water pricing to promote efficient use of water, building water storage resources. Despite remarkable improvements in the proportion of infrastructure to store excess water, enforcing strict water quality population using an improved water source and an improved management systems to curb water pollution, controlling popula- sanitation facility, 27.2 million Pakistanis do not have access to safe tion growth and adopting a sustainable pattern of urbanization, are water and 52.7 million do not have access to adequate sanitation all major issues that require immediate attention if Pakistanis are to facilities. The repercussions on health are severe: an approximate have access to the water they need in the future. Bold actions are 39,000 children under ve die every year from diarrhea caused by needed to address this water crisis, otherwise not only will Pakistan unsafe water and poor sanitation. Furthermore, with the increasing not meet the SDGs on water, but it future development will be burden on water resources threats will increase to Pakistani's well- hampered. being from unsafe or inadequate water supplies.

Increasing demand for water and its erratic supply together are resulting in water shortages. Population growth, rapid urbanization, water intensive farming practices and industrialization all contribute to Pakistan's increasing demand for more water. Simultaneously, the supply side is hampered by climatic changes that have made rainfall more erratic, leading to oods in some years and droughts in others. Excessive pumping of groundwater has raised major concerns over its sustainability. Poor water infrastructure including limited storage capacity and inadequate linings of canals further compounds the situation of water availability. Pollution of available resources mainly due to contaminated agricultural run-offs and untreated industrial and household waste being dumped in water courses, is another factor leading to dwindling freshwater supply.

01 Analysis Water Sector of Pakistan: A Situational Analysis

Note: Major analysis has been conducted by Dr. Shahid Ahmad, a Water Resources Development and Management Expert.

Pakistan Water Vulnerability Table 1: Trend of Indus River historical ows in million acre feet (MAF) Assessment No. Year Indus River Flows (MAF) Water Availability Water availability in Pakistan is largely from 1 1937-38 156.7 precipitation (rainfall and snow), river ows from snow and glacier-melt and runoff 2 1940-41 130.5 from summer and winter rains from the 3 1950-51 183.4 watersheds. Some of the water from precipitation and surface water ows 4 1960-61 178.2 recharge the aquifer in terms of large storage of groundwater in the Indus basin. 5 1970-71 128.3 Pakistan benets a great deal from all these 6 1980-81 134.7 sources of water and the availability of precipitation and river ows, marked by 7 1990-91 163.5 unique temporal variability. For example, 8 2000-01 97.6 the variability in the historical maxima and minima is 170.1 and 92.6 MAF, thereby 9 2010-11 157.0 indicating the distribution of oods and 10 2012-13 121.5 droughts in the Indus basin. The extreme variability in river ows makes resource Average Flows 147.8 management quite complex. Similarly, the recharge to the aquifer and availability of Minimum Flows 92.65 groundwater is also dependent upon the Maximum Flows 207.70 probability of wet and dry years. The trends of water availability in the Indus basin covering western and eastern tributaries are presented in Table 1. Figure 1. Mean Annual Rainfall in Pakistan

64 68 72 76 Precipitation Mean annual rainfall varies from less than SCALE 100 mm in parts of Balochistan and Sindh, 36 36 0 400 Km to more than 1500 mm in wet mountains. In Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), at altitudes exceeding 5000 m, snowfall exceeds 5000 mm and provides the largest resource of water in the glaciated zone (Figure 1). About 60 percent 32 32 of rainfall is received during July- LEGEND September. Contribution of rainwater to (mm) crops in the Indus Basin Irrigation System > 1500

(IBIS) is 13.4 MAF, which is 13.5 percent of 1000 - 1500 the mean annual canal diversions in the 28 28 post-Tarbela period. Extreme variability in 500 - 1000 seasonal rainfall has direct impacts on the 300 - 500 river ows. Ninety-two percent of country's 200 - 300 area is classied as semi-arid to arid. 24 100 - 200 24

Glaciers and snow deposits < 100 GB contains the largest area of perennial glaciers outside the polar regions (22,000 64 68 72 76 km) and estimates are that as much as 28 Source: Pakistan Met Department and WRRI, NARC, 1999

1 Ahmad, S. 2008a. Land and water resources of Pakistan – A critical appraisal. Paper presented in 23rd Annual General Meeting & Conference of Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE). Broad theme of 'Natural Resource Management: Issues and Challenges'. Islamabad, Pakistan 2 Ibid 02 percent of the region is glaciated, and Figure 2: Probability of Indus basin river ows (MAF) during 1975-2013 winter snow cover occupies up to 30-40 percent of that area. More than a 100 170.1 glaciers stretch over 10 km in length, with 180 166.3 several extending beyond 50 km. Hence, 155.5 glaciers and seasonal snow constitute a 160 huge reservoir for freshwater in the area 134.7 and contribute vastly to the ow of the 140 121.3 118.6 Indus river. 120

Indus river system ows – post-storage 92.6 era 100 Seasonal, annual and daily river ows in the Indus river system are highly variable.⁴ River 80 ows are generally limited in the Rabi⁵ season because of limited glaciers, snow- 60 melt and rainfall, with ows increasing by almost ve times in the Kharif season. 40 During 1975-2013, western rivers contrib- uted nearly 134.7 MAF of water in a median 20 year (50 percent probability). After the construction of Mangla and Tarbela dams, 0 eastern rivers contributed 7.0 MAF of water Maximum 1 in 10 2.5 in 10 5 in 10 7.5 in 10 8 in 10 Minimum in a median year, of which 80 percent was in Source: IRSA 2016 the Kharif season. Total median annual ows from both western and eastern rivers Flows to Arabian Sea – downstream of diversions at Kotri and upstream com- was 141.7 MAF (Figure 2). Kotri Barrage mands. Annual variability of river ows down- Variability in river ows during droughts stream Kotri barrage has been very high. In A clearer picture emerges with an analysis has given rise to water crises and fuels inter- the median year, annual ow was 26.9 MAF made of the number of days per season provincial water conicts. The Water during 1975-2013. In one out of ten years, when ows downstream of Kotri barrage Apportionment Accord, based on the mean the ows below Kotri are almost negligible were zero. In pre-Kotri period (1956-61), annual river ows of 143 MAF, indicates that (Figure 3). The construction of Kotri barrage there was not a single day with a zero ow. the apportioned amount of water will not reduced seasonal and annual ows below In post-Kotri period (1961-67), the be available to provinces in one out of two Kotri owing to enhanced canal diversions. maximum number of days with zero ows years. Seasonal and annual ows were further in Rabi season were 10. 1975-2013 saw the reduced during the post-Mangla and post- highest number of zero ows in the Rabi Tarbela periods due to increases in canal season at 180 (Figure 4). I n post Kotri/Mangla periods, zero ows were on average 33 days in the Rabi season, whereas Figure 3: Probability of river ows (MAF) below Kotri Barrage in the post-Tarbela period zero ows were on average 81 days.⁶ 100 91.8 Per capita surface water availability and 90 storage Per capita designed live storage capacity 80 69.1 available in Pakistan is 121 m per person, 70 which is only higher than that of Ethiopia. USA houses the largest storage capacity of 60 6000 m per person, followed by Australia 45.4 and China. When compared with a storage 50 capacity of 900 days in the Colorado River, USA, Pakistan stands with a storage 40 26.9 capacity at a mere 30 days.

30 Groundwater recharge Estimated annual recharge to groundwater 20 11 8.8 in the IBIS is 55 MAF, out of which 36 MAF 10 occurs in the freshwater zone.⁷ The 1979 0.3 basin-wide survey of WAPDA indicated that 0 the water table, covering a 42 percent area Maximum 1 in 10 2.5 in 10 5 in 10 7.5 in 10 8 in 10 Minimum of IBIS, was below three metres and Source: IRSA 2016 classied as waterlogged. Owing to

3 Ahmed, S. and M. F. Joyia. 2003. Northern Areas Sustainable Development Strategy. NASDS Background Paper: Water IUCN Pakistan, Northern Areas Progamme, Gilgit. xiv+67 pp. 4 Ahmad, S. 1999. Achievements and issues of irrigation in the 20th century. Proceedings of the National Workshop on "Water Resources Achievements and Issues in the 20th Century and Challenge of the Next Millennium”, Islamabad. PCRWR/UNESCO, June 28-30, p. 188-201. 5 The cropping season is classied into two main seasons-(i) Kharif and (ii) Rabi, based on the monsoon. The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter). 6 WCD. 2000. Tarbela Dam and related aspects of the Indus River Basin Pakistan. Final Report: November 2000. Prepared for the World Commission on Dams (WCD) by: Asianics Agro-Dev. International (Pvt) Ltd. Secretariat of the World Commission on Dams. Cape Town 8018, South Africa. Website: http://www.dams.org 7 Zuberi, F.A. and A.B.Su. 1992. State of art of groundwater exploration, exploitation, management and legislation. IWASRI, WAPDA, Lahore, 26 p. 03 Table 2. Population and water availability in Pakistan drought and increased abstractions in 2003, the waterlogged area saw reductions Data at from 42 to 32 percent. Although, data since Parameter Pakistan Level 2003 is unavailable, however waterlogging is on a continual decline due to drought. Population 1998 (millions) 132.35 Population 2016 (millions) 189.87 8 In the IBIS, the total groundwater reservoir of fresh and marginal quality water River Flows (MAF) 144.7 9 measures to 810 MAF (gross command area Floodwater outside Indus basin (MAF) 10 22.0 of 16.7 million ha and depth of freshwater of 15 m), equivalent to six times that of Floodwater outside basin but drained to Indus River System (MAF)11 -10.7 mean annual river ows. Excessive pumping in a few dry years will not have Total Available Water (MAF) 156.0 lasting negative impacts on the resource, Water Availability per Capita (m3/person/annum) 1014 rather it will create a space for excessive recharge during wet years when ows are Sources: more than two-fold (225 percent higher) of 1. Ahmad, S. 2008a. Land and water resources of Pakistan – A critical appraisal. Paper presented in 23rd Annual General Meeting & Conference of Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE). Broad theme of 'Natural Resource Management: Issues and Challenges'. Islamabad, the lowest ows, and 45 percent higher Pakistan; than the mean annual ows. 2. Ahmad, S. 2008b. Contribution to the Report of the Sub-Committee on Water and Climate Change. Task Force on Food Security. Planning Commission. Groundwater abstraction There are around 1.0 million tubewells energized either with electricity (18.5 Figure 4. Zero ow days below Kotri Barrage percent) or diesel (81.5 percent). The Rabi Kharif abstraction of groundwater during 2013-14 200 was 50.2 MAF, which has remained stagnant for the last 15 years (Figure 5). A 180 subsidy of PKR 28 billion per annum is 160 provided on electric tariff for 30,000 tubewells in Balochistan (three percent of 140 total tubewells). This had serious impacts 120 on lowering of the water table in Balochistan and resulted in wasteful use of 100

water and energy. ys per season 80

Major issues with regards to abstraction 60 No of da include, a) Majority of available ground- 40 water (90 percent) is abstracted and any development beyond 10 percent will result 20 in rapid lowering of the water table; b) 0 Farmers are now abstracting groundwater 1975 - 76 1980 - 81 1985 - 86 1990 - 91 1995 - 96 2000 - 01 2005 - 06 2010 - 11 from brackish zones underlain by fresh groundwater which has resulted in Source: IRSA 2014 intrusion of brackish groundwater into Pakistan are domestic, agriculture, industry Water use in the agriculture freshwater zones; c) Abstraction of and environment. Although agriculture is Current water use groundwater is now resulting into the largest consumer of water, however, The largest infrastructural enterprise, the redistribution of salts due to a lack of domestic water has been assigned a higher IBIS network, accounted for USD 300 billion drainage; and, d) Rise in electric tariff will priority, given that drinking water is a basic worth of investment and contributed USD result in shifting to diesel-operated necessity, and has been identied as a basic 21.2 billion, nearly 19.8 percent, to the tubewells as a result of which, the protabil- right as per the country's water strategy of country's GDP during 2015-16. Irrigated ity of farming will be affected by diesel 2012. agriculture provides 90 percent of wheat prices. and small grains, in addition to sugarcane, The agriculture sector consumes around rice, cotton, fruits and vegetables, almost In the last 40 years (1976-16), groundwater 91.6 percent of the total annual water use in entirely. Apart from crops, the network also contribution to irrigated agriculture has the country; followed by environment at provides milk, meat and fuel-wood and is doubled from 25.6 to 50.2 MAF⁴ and it is 3.3, domestic at 2.6 and industry at 2.5 home to a majority of buffaloes. currently stagnant. Groundwater now percent (Figure 6). Hence, water saving and contributes 47 percent of surface water efficient utilization of water in the Indus basin canal water supplies available at the farm head. agriculture sector is crucial, given that this Variability in annual canal diversions was sector demands the highest amount of from 111.1 to 76.2 MAF, representing a water. Multiple Uses of Water variability of 34.9 MAF between the highest The major sub-sectors of water use in and lowest canal water diversions. Thus,

8 Based on estimates made by the NIPS. 9 141.7 MAF of average annual river ows at rim stations and 3 MAF of water used by Civil Canals at upstream of rim stations 10 Using a runoff coefficient of 26% instead of 18% used by the NESPAK (1998). 11 Using ows drained to Indus basin using current level of water use. 12 WAPDA. 2006. Waterlogging and salinity in the Indus basin. WAPDA, Lahore. 13 IWMI. 2010. Banking on groundwater in times of change. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 7p. (IWMI Water Policy Brief 032) 14 GOP 2016. Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan. Economic Wing of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Government of Pakistan. 04 Figure 5: Groundwater abstraction in Pakistan stochastic nature of river ows has a 60 pronounced effect on canal diversions, instead of loss of storage capacity (Figure 7). The loss of storage capacity also has negative impacts on canal diversions. 50

The lowest canal diversion during 1975- 2013 was 76.2 MAF which had adversely 40 affected irrigated agriculture in the drought year. According to the Water Accord, 114.35 MAF of canal water supplies was appor- 30

ys per season tioned to the provinces, considering that the construction of new dams (Kalabagh and Basha) will render additional storages. No of da 20 Probability of canal supplies during 1975- 2013 indicated that apportioned water was never available as per Accord. The canal 10 diversion in a median year was 101.84 MAF.

Current budget 0 Water conveyance efficiency of the IBIS is 1955-561959-601963-64 1971-721975-761979-801983-84 1991-921995-961999-00 1947-481951-51 1967-68 1987-88 2003-042007-08 55.3 percent based on canal and water- course conveyance efficiency of 79 and 70 Source: Agricultural Statistics of Pakistan, Statistics Division, 2014 percent, respectively. Field application efficiency is 75 percent. Thus, overall irrigation efficiency stands at 41.5 percent. Figure 6: Water use by sub-sectors (2016) The net water availability for crop consump- tive requirement is 79.89 MAF, whereas net 3.3% Domestic water requirement for crop consumptive use for existing cropping pattern in the IBIS 2.5% Agriculture 2.6% is 101.7 MAF. With rainfall contribution of Industry 13.4 MAF, the shortfall stands at 8.41 MAF (8.3 percent), and 21.81 MAF (21.4 percent) Environment vice versa. The shortfall during dry years continues to increase due to reduced canal water supply and less rainfall. Farmers adapt either by reducing cropped area, decit irrigation or enhanced abstractions from groundwater (Box I).

Balance Water Available for Carry Over Dams on Indus Main The probability of balance water available in the Indus basin is presented in Figure 8. The probability indicates that a total of ve- out-of-ten years' worth of water is available for storage in the reservoirs constructed on the Indus main. This would mean that in the 91.6% future, storage dams can be constructed for storage of water for carryover dams. This would imply that the water stored in these dams during wet years, be provided in dry Box 1: Budget of Agricultural Water Use in the IBIS years to reduce the impacts of oods and droughts in the Indus basin. Such inte- Ÿ Canal Diversions to IBIS at 50% probability - 101.84 MAF grated efforts are needed to mitigate the Water Conveyance losses - 45.52 MAF risks of oods and droughts. Ÿ Canal Water Available at Farm Head - 56.32 MAF Ÿ Pumpage from Groundwater during 2013-14 - 50.2 MAF Future Water Demand The country's current population stands at Ÿ Net Water Availability at Farm Head - 106.52 MAF approximately 190 million (2016), due to Field Application Losses - 26.63 MAF increase to 217 million by 2025, using a Ÿ Net Irrigation Water Availability for Crop Consumptive Requirement - 79-89 MAF growth rate of 1.5 percent per annum. Thus, Ÿ Rainfall Contribution - 13.4 MAF an increase of 14.2 percent in water availability is needed to meet the require- Ÿ Assuming that rainfall is equivalent to amount required for leaching fraction to ment of the population in 2025. In order to maintain salt in IBIS, net water available - 79-89 MAF meet the net crop water requirement, the Ÿ Net Crop Water Requirement - 101.7 MAF demand of water would be 101.7 and Ÿ Shortfall in mean year at 50% probability without rainfall contribution - 21.81 MAF 116.14 MAF for 2016 and 2025, respectively. Ÿ Shortfall during mean year at 50% probability with rainfall contribution of 13.4 MAF - 8.41 MAF

05 Issues and challenges Figure 7: Canal diversion (MAF) during 1975-2013 Water Availability and Scarcity Water availability in the post-Accord period was signicantly less when compared with 120 111.13 109.19 105.09 Accord entitlements of 114.3 MAF of canal 101.84 water supplies. Maximum amount of water 95.57 94.02 diverted to canals during 1975-2013 was 100 111.1 MAF, with median year supplies of 101.84 MAF, which is 12.2 percent less than 76.2 the Accord. Variability in canal water 80 supplies ranges between 76.2 to 111.1 MAF, which is 33.3 and 2.9 percent less than the Accord and is creating water disputes 60 among provinces.

40 The issue of sharing water shortages among provinces then remains, especially when they feel that their entitlements are as 20 per the Accord. Also of pertinent concern, is the issue as to why water entitlements are higher than the availability of water itself. 0 The reason is that these entitlements are Maximum 1 in 10 2.5 in 10 5 in 10 7.5 in 10 8 in 10 Minimum based on the fact that additional storages will be constructed in the future, which Source: IRSA 2016 have yet to be initiated. Although there have been past disputes on water distribu- Figure 8: Probability of balance water available for carryover dams tion, however, the Indus River System on Indus Main in wet years Authority (IRSA) was successfully able to distribute water without any grievances, 100 55 referred to by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). 90 46 The Indus Main houses an inadequate 80 storage capacity incapable to regulate 70 water supply ensuring that surpluses are 35 not wasted and there is sufficient water to 60 meet needs in times of shortage. Pakistan's water storage capacity ranges between 0 to 50 40 days of river ows during dry and wet 23 years, respectively. Storage availability is 40 around 18.6 MAF, which is insignicant to meet the future water demand and to 30 11 ensure availability of water to provinces as 10 per Accord. Pakistan's river ow hydrology 20 is such that there is no water to store during the dry year, whereas the situation is 10 0 opposite during wet years. 0 Maximum 1 in 10 2.5 in 10 5 in 10 7.5 in 10 8 in 10 Minimum Rising and Competing Water Demand Source: IRSA 2014 The water demand continues to increase owing to a rise in population and a higher Balochistan have also been facing similar province of Punjab (upper riparian) remains demand for multiple water uses. The water disputes (Khirthar and Pat Feeder Canals), insistent on using gures during the 1977- demand for domestic and industrial sub- as Balochistan is a lower riparian of Sindh 82 period, in which, as per sentiments sectors of water use will receive higher and is unable to utilize its due share of water expressed by the Sindh province (lower priority and compete with water required owing to inadequate infrastructure. The riparian), adhoc allocations by the federal for agriculture. In case no new water question to be addressed then is regarding government have favoured Punjab. This resources are developed in the near future, the utilization of the share of Balochistan. looming mistrust regarding the propor- rise in demand for domestic and industrial Provinces are not entitled to market their tionate distribution of water between lower sectors would largely be met from water unutilized share of water as per the Accord, and upper riparians, is an issue which needs allocated and used for the agriculture sub- which is a limitation and may be rectied in to be resolved, with the former claiming sector. the future. Transport of effluents to that it has less water than its entitlement, downstream and impacts of pollutants on and the latter bears reservations on the bio-diversity and ecology of delta ecosys- authenticity of water losses data between Inter-provincial Disputes and Water tems, is now a serious concern. the barrages of Sindh. Apportionment Accord Inter-provincial water disputes continue to Owing to a lack of enforcement of the The impact of reduced ows below the prevail on the division of water as per formula for water distribution as per the Kotri barrage on the livelihood of people entitlements and sharing of shortages. Accord based on a ten-daily average use, dependent upon delta ecosystems Punjab and Sindh have been facing such system-wise and seasonally adjusted including livelihood sources of sheries, disputes since pre-partition. Sindh and gures are still an unresolved issue. The mangrove forests, livestock and delta 06 farming, are increasingly visible and is from groundwater, energy is and would Pakistan's vulnerability to climate change signicant. Findings of the study on “Water play an important role in maintaining and including, a) Erratic monsoon rains causing Escapage below Kotri Barrage” need to be sustaining the productivity and protabil- frequent and intense oods and droughts; considered and approved by the IRSA and ity of agriculture. There has been a b) Projected recession of the Hindu Kush- CCI. continual rise in the price of diesel-fuel and Karakoram-Himalayan (HKH) glaciers due It is also worthy to note that with a rise in tariff of electricity as there is no subsidy on to global warming and carbon soot water demand owing to population growth diesel fuel. One thing is clear: efficient use of deposits from trans-boundary pollution and economic development, the future will surface water will supplement the use of sources, threatening water inows into the see more national conicts between groundwater. The issue is how to maximize Indus River System (IRS); c) Increased regions who have not been allocated any the efficiency of canal water use so that siltation of major dams caused by more share as per the Accord. These include the groundwater abstracted in the IBIS is frequent and intense oods; d) Rising regions of Gilgit Baltistan, Federally reduced for maintaining an equilibrium in temperatures resulting in enhanced heat Administered Tribal Areas, Azad Jammu & abstractions. Groundwater quality in upper and water-stressed conditions, particularly Kashmir, and Islamabad. Sindh, southern KPK and Southern Punjab in arid and semi-arid regions, leading to is brackish. Thus, long-term food security reduced agricultural productivity; e) Environmental Flows (e-Flows) can be achieved only through conjunctive Increased intrusion of saline water in the Environmental ows are essential for a n d e ffi c i e n t u s e o f s u r f a c e a n d Indus delta, adversely affecting coastal providing water for nature. The most groundwater. agriculture, mangroves and the breeding important e-ows in the IBIS are: a) Indus grounds of sh; and, f) Increased stress delta below Kotri barrage to maintain Management of Water – Quantity and between upper riparian and lower riparian ecosystem and habitats; and b) Three Quality regions in relation to sharing of water eastern rivers owing to Pakistan with the The management of water in all sub-sectors resources. right to ow in order to maintain river is a major issue in the country. Both aspects ecosystems. The Water Accord provides of quantity and quality are important. The The climate change policy emphasized entitlements for e-ows below Kotri and a storage of water available in the country is how water would have the largest impacts study conducted estimated minimum e- at a bare minimum, with a capacity to store as compared to any other sector in Pakistan. ows there. Priority allocations for e-ows Indus water equivalent to 30-50 days of Thus, six action areas were identied for in times of droughts when water is not river ows in wet and dry years. Likewise, climate change adaptations in the water adequate to meet the demand of the the efficiency and productivity of water use sector including, a) Water storage and agriculture sub-sector, is an issue that is extremely low owing to an almost infrastructure; b) Water conservation requires addressal. Thus, provinces will not negligible pricing of water. For example, strategies; c) Integrated water resource assign high priority for minimum e-ows. domestic water bills in most urban areas go management; d) Legislative framework; e) The minimum e-ows for eastern rivers to as low as PKR 500 and below per month. In Enhancing capacity; and, f) Awareness Pakistan were not allocated and conse- agriculture, water fee for wheat varies from raising. quently the river has lost the right to ow in PKR 50 to PKR 100 in different provinces for almost 335 days in a year, and water is one acre of land, during the wheat growing International legal frameworks for water available only during oods. This has had season. The cost of fertilizer utilized stands resources management and Pakistan's at approximately PKR 10,000 per acre. This severe impacts on river ecosystems and the involvement livelihood of local people. Even areas of dry delineates that water for agriculture is Global and regional treaties, as well as non- rivers are facing difficulty in obtaining almost free. binding instruments from international access to water for multiple uses. The organizations such as UNECE (United resultant impact is the degradation of dry Quality is also a serious concern. Sewage Nations Economic Commission for Europe), beds of the eastern rivers that lie in and industrial effluents in urban areas are UNEP (United Nations Environment Pakistan. mixed and the wastewater treatment Programme), OECD (Organization for facility is almost insignicant, with few Economic Cooperation and Development), treatment plants in operation. Sewage, Climate Change Impacts and the ILA (International Law Association) industrial and agricultural effluents Rapid climate change and global warming constitute a edged body of rules that aims ultimately drain in to freshwater systems- will have major impacts on increased crop at preventing pollution of freshwater canals and Indus River tributaries-and are water requirement. This will hamper resources. In 1997, the United Nations, ultimately used for raising fodders and productivity owing to changes in crop through the draft articles of the ILC, vegetables in peri-urban areas. With water boundaries and reduced length of the developed a global framework convention containing the presence of heavy metals, growing season. Thus, the chances of for global protection of freshwater nitrogenous compounds and bacteria, it is reduced water availability during the dry resources entitled, 'The Convention on the no surprise that the soil and produce also years should be expected. Extremes will be Law of Non-Navigational Uses of Interna- get impacted. Research studies conducted more frequent and severe, which will have tional Watercourses'.⁵ This convention is by the Pakistan Agricultural Research negative impacts on productivity and recognized to codify customary laws Council (PARC) and many others have sustainability of irrigated agriculture. The relating to water. Fifty percent of the world's identied the produce as unsafe for human real question is how to develop and test river basins are shared by two or more and animal consumption. adaptations, as well as scaling up to states and provide the majority of the mitigate the impacts of climate change on supply used by human activity.⁶ Thus, productivity. Water Management and Gover- geographical and political reasons nance constitute major factors in the making of Nexus with Food and Energy Security Water as a main priority in the National international agreements relating to water. Water and energy are major factors that Climate Change Policy Although Pakistan is beneting from affect food security. As almost half of water The National Climate Change Policy international legal frameworks for water use for consumptive requirement in the IBIS identied threats, while describing resources management, yet, is largely

15 United Nations Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (New York, 21 May 1997, in force 17 August 2014) UNTS I-52106 (hereinafter: UN Watercourses Convention or UNWC). 16 Philippe Sands and Jacqueline Peel, with Adriana Fabra and Ruth Mackenzie, Principles of international environmental law (Cambridge University Press, 2012) 304 07 dependent upon the Indus Water Treaty for underway for the development of hydro- developing appropriate mathematical resolving transboundary water conicts power with enhanced water storage on the models. with India. Western River. Pakistan continues to face Ÿ Provinces shall prepare drought reduced ows from the Chenab owing to management plans for different the recent storage of water in the Baglihar drought prone areas. Transboundar y water resources dam. Annual ows in the Chenab during Ÿ It is recognized that small surface water management and implications for wet years have continued to decline since carry-over storages do not provide Pakistan 1958-59 with an increase in droughts since effective relief against drought because For over 40 years, the Indus Water Treaty has 1937-38. Same is the case for River Jhelum of high evaporation losses of surface proved to be an outstanding example of being controlled by India; being a major water bodies. It is therefore necessary to conict resolution. An increase in water source of irrigation and hydro-power for investigate feasibility of using ground- stress in the basin states since the early 90s Pakistan, it would pose dire impacts for the water aquifers as water storage facility. Ÿ has brought the Treaty under strain. In fact, country if India chooses to close the gates In the drought prone areas, non-water its survival appears weak, although there is of the Barrage. Although the Treaty limits related economic activities shall be no exit clause. The Treaty fails to address Pakistan to prohibit construction of promoted and the available groundwa- two issues; the division of shortages in the hydropower dams by India, it does ter resources be used largely for dry years between India and Pakistan, when however, grant the right to voice issues domestic and stock water purposes. In ows are almost half as compared to the regarding the developing strategy such cases, aquifer recharge facilities wet years; and, the cumulative impact of concerning the storage of water during dry shall be promoted. storages on the ows of Chenab River into periods. Pa k i s t a n . T h e Wu l a r B a r r a g e a n d Balochistan IWRM policy 2006 Kishenganga Project on Jhelum and Reactive Stance of Pakistan Balochistan Integrated Water Resources Neelam River present a similar problem Awareness regarding trans boundary water Management (IWRM) Policy of 2006⁸ whereby water storage during the Rabi issues is a recent phenomenon and highlighted that inefficient water use, season is critical as ows are almost one- systematic studies are needed. Pakistan's wastage of surface water and indiscrimi- fth of the Kharif season. Pakistan has gone negligence in conducting sound analysis nate abstraction of groundwater resources as far as calling the Treaty an inefficient and delays in presenting cases to the Indus coupled with water scarcity, have aggra- forum for resolving water issues; elevating Water Commission or World Bank, have vated the current situation, thereby making the water issue to being a “core issue”; and caused the issue to hang loose and remain management of water resources a complex including it in composite dialogue, but unaddressed. and a difficult task in Balochistan. Only 36 India has refused to include water in percent of the total available water composite dialogues because it is not ready Water Use Policies in Pakistan resources are utilized in an average year. to discard the Treaty. National Water Policy - Draft of 2015 The persistent drought during the period of eight years (1998-06) has resulted in The latest draft of the National Water Policy negative impacts on the availability of Water Entitlements of India on Western was circulated on the directions of the water and livelihood of rural communities. Rivers and Interpretation of the Treaty Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2015⁷ and

The Indus Water Treaty permitted India for identied twenty-three action areas, each The IWRM approach was adopted in creating storages on Western Rivers of 1.25, segmented further into individual targets. formulating the Policy for sixteen Policy 1.60 and 0.75 MAF for general, power and It provides full support in areas of water Thrust Areas, which are essential for ood storages, respectively, amounting to a resources development using perennial improving and sustaining the manage- total permissible storage of 3.6 MAF. A clear and oodwater, water harvesting, water ment of sur face and groundwater ambiguity in the Treaty occurs in its management and groundwater recharge. resources in the province. Policy thrust allowance to be interpreted differently, In addition, it also identies the framework areas were identied after evaluating issues thereby creating conicts between for water related hazards covering related to sub-sectors of water use instead Pakistan and India. The Treaty also fails to droughts, oods, waterlogging and salinity. of using the traditional approach focusing clearly address India's share of shortages in only on the sources of water (surface and relation to storage dams on the Western A review of the draft national water policy groundwater). This approach would also Rivers, an issue of major concern. further indicated that it endorsed the need help the stakeholders to own and imple- to adopt basin as an approach for the ment the IWRM Policy pertaining to their Water Scarcity and Emerging Conicts management of water in all environments, sub-sectors of water use. Along with the on Apportioned Rivers including the environmental integrity of IWRM approach, the water-poverty- As a consequence of climate change, hydrologic basins. Aspects related to environment framework was used as shrinking glaciers and altering precipita- drought management were analyzed in criteria, while evaluating issues and tion patterns render the need to address detail and the following policy guidelines formulating policy and reforms. Basin issues of water scarcity and resources. were provided: approach is recommended for manage- During oods, for example, majority of the ment of water in a holistic manner. For the water runs into the rivers of Indus-Pakistan Ÿ Pakistan Meteorological and other purpose of basin level planning, framework which leaves the province of Sindh ooded. Departments and Agencies shall be of watershed-water-farming systems is Such negative setbacks on the economy encouraged and supported in carrying recommended to enhance water produc- will have eventual dire consequences if not out research work in reliably predicting tivity and to achieve sustainability of water addressed. droughts in short and long term use. The Provincial Cabinet in its meeting on perspective so that feasible counter- March 9th, 2006, approved all the policy Impacts of Water Development in India measures can be taken timely through thrust areas except the “Electric Tariff for on Flows of Western Rivers to Pakistan modied releases from reservoirs and Tubewells”. The Fifteen policy thrust areas With control of the Chenab river through plan other water management approved for the IWRM Policy are: a) Water the Salal Dam, India has several plans strategies. Research shall aim at availability and potential for development;

17 GOP. 2015. National water policy. Ministry of Water and Power, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. 18 GOB. 2006. IWRM policy of Balochistan. Department of Irrigation. Government of Balochistan. 08 b) Water resources assessment and should be replicated in other areas as well. develop an inventory of water quality for monitoring; c) Managing water demand; d) Likewise, the establishment of drip surface and groundwater to represent all Linking water development with IWRM irrigation farming systems- a type of high the major ecosystems and environments, approach; e) IWRM for agriculture; f ) value farming as a mix of creeper-type ranging from wet mountains to the Indus Adjusting crops and cropping pattern with vegetables and high density orchards-in basin, Barani lands, deserts and the coast. water availability; g) IWRM for other sub- areas outside the Indus basin where water Research is needed on how to use marginal sectors (non-agricultural) of water use; h) is at premium, should be adopted by and poor quality groundwater for farming Environmental water management; i) Cost farmers. in areas where freshwater is unavailable recovery of irrigation infrastructure; j) Cost from rainfall and surface water resources. e ffe c t i v i t y o f wate r co n s e r vat i o n Investigation of Watershed Networks interventions; k) Promoting inter-provincial Watershed management is essential in Finally, there is also a dearth of research on cooperation; l) Fostering participation; m) areas outside the Indus basin covering how to provide a cost-effective way of Institutional restructuring and strengthen- mountainous regions, Barani areas and providing safe water of acceptable quality ing; n) High efficiency irrigation both for Balochistan. There is a need to initiate eld for human, livestock and freshwater surface and pressurized irrigation systems; investigations in order to establish sheries. Some areas in the deserts, around and, o) Groundwater development and programmes for watershed management the coasts, in the Indus delta, and some management. and link them with groundwater recharge parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and as well as livelihood generation to Sindh have brackish quality groundwater, Policy and reforms are outlined under each encourage community participation. an issue that can only be addressed and of the policy thrust areas, which are being Integrated land use practices including rectied once there is thorough analysis to implemented by all sub-sectors of water plantation of forest trees, shrubs, grasses identify loopholes and develop a proper use. Along with policy and reforms, themes and arid fruit plants would provide surface addressal framework. for research and feasibility studies and cover and also provide fuelwood, pastures areas of capacity building have also been and arid fruits (mulberry, falsa, pomegran- identied. ate, g, etc.).

The Balochistan IWRM Policy is the only Updating Academic Curricula to Address approved water policy in the country and Ways to Engage in Sustainable Develop- provides a comprehensive framework ment which is relevant with the conditions The current curricula of water and prevailing in the province, while addressing agriculture institutions are largely based on issues of water development within the books that do not have much relevance to context of the basin approach, water the water and agriculture landscape of harvesting and groundwater recharge as an Pakistan. There is a need to revise this integral part of watershed management, curriculum accordingly, and to introduce and water management through inte- relevant courses at the Bachelors and grated management of oods and Masters levels relating to sustainable droughts to mitigate the negative impacts development. Along with updating the of these water-related disasters. curriculum, there is a need to develop course materials, which have relevance With the draft national policy lingering with the requirement of sustainable since the last 11 years, the best option development in the country and various would be that each province formulates regions. For example, universities impart- their own water polices, which could then ing education in water and agriculture all be integrated into one federal water located in each of the provinces cannot use policy. similar curriculums when the problems are different, including keeping the climate Way Forward change variabilities into account. Increase Public Awareness Water has been highly politicized in Development of a Central Data Reposi- Pakistan and there is an extreme decit of tory and Website trust among the provinces. This decit of Past efforts in creating a single central data trust is largely due to a lack of access to data repository have been unsuccessful owing and information. Popular papers need to be to data collection being conducted by a mix prepared along with posters and stickers of several agencies in the federation and for creating mass awareness. The use of provinces. The solution to this lies in rst, mass media in creating awareness at all developing a decentralized database by the levels, including civil society at large, is also different agencies, followed by centralizing integral. Without awareness, water cannot this database by using this data to feed into be made as 'business for everyone'. one single central data repository. The federal statistics division would be the High Efficiency Irrigation Systems pertinent authority to take charge of all Current irrigation practices are inefficient coordination and networking in this regard. and water productivity is lowest in the Indus basin irrigated agriculture. The More Research on Water Quality development of laser levelling technology With an increase in the demand and variety and furrow-bed irrigation has resulted in of water uses, its quality is now a growing saving 30 percent of water and has led to an concern. Therefore, standards for water increase in productivity by 25 percent in the quality need to be developed for all sub- district of Okara, Punjab. Such a model sectors of water use. There is a need to

09 Opinion Water Management In The Indus Basin: Critical Aspects

maximum of 30 days of ow, and only 11 investments in human and material percent of the identied hydro-potential resources. has been developed. This allows more than 30 MAF on average to ow into the sea Savings from the agriculture sector can unregulated and unutilized, thus limiting easily meet future domestic, industrial and the basins capacity to provide minimum environmental demands provided the ows required for the Indus delta. Equally same level of prudence and good science is important is the fact that it also limits the used in determining such use of precious basins capacity to regulate ood ows as a water. There are several global examples consequence of which, continued disaster that delineate how countries have utilized in the wake of climate change, is brought water savings obtained from the irrigated upon. Unfortunately, the storage issue has agriculture sector and invested them into evolved into becoming highly politicized, meeting demands of other industries. India to an extent that renders no room to and China are a case in point. These Khalid Mohtadullah consider several viable options. The next countries are spending billions of dollars best options however exist and need to be making water t for human consumption Former Member Water, WAPDA vigorously pursued to provide much and industrial activity and transporting it Senior Advisor, ICIMOD needed resilience in the system. for its end use. Hundreds of new treatment plants and other infrastructure have been However, increased storage capacity alone developed, along with their operating and is insufficient to solve the problem. More maintenance systems. Meeting this The Indus basin has the world’s largest efficient use of water needs to be targeted. challenge with existing technologies is contiguous irrigation system. Total irrigated The prevailing productivity per unit of already big business. For example, in China, area is 19 Mha, with 4 Mha rainfed, whereas, water in Pakistan is among the lowest in the the market for current membrane total cropped area is more than 23 Mha. It world. Add to this the fact, that the irrigated technology used for cleaning waste water is also has a highly transmissive and produc- agriculture sector consumes more than the growing at more than 30 percent a year and tive aquifer that augments surface supplies, total annual inows into the basin (after is projected to grow at even higher rates and in recent years it has become a very adding the groundwater component), it over the coming few decades. Newer important source of supply, particularly in becomes evident that such a gross level of technologies offer becoming even bigger the Punjab province. inefficienc y in water usage is not businesses. sustainable in the face of rising domestic, The climate is tropically arid with mean industrial and environmental demands. In many advanced cities, the same sewage annual rainfall of 238 mm and mean annual Therefore, bringing efficiency in water use, system collects both residential and temperature at 28C. During summers, particularly in the irrigated agricultural commercial waste water, runoff rain water temperatures may soar up to 45C, causing sector, is at the heart of sustainability for and snow. In the case of Singapore, for high evaporation rates of 120 mm in the ensuring water, food and energy security in example, it collects different gradations of north, and 2100 mm in the south. Its high the country. However, this does not imply discharged water separately and redirects intra-and inter-annual variability makes that water use in other sectors can be some of it to uses requiring lower levels of irrigation essential for crop growth. sidelined. Those have to be equally quality. From there, the water moves onto monitored as well, to ensure the same level treatment plants and henceforth to other More than 95 percent of the annual surface of prudence in water use. applications, thereby making waste water water ow is appropriated for irrigation. If effectively utilized. Gulf States such as Abu groundwater usage is added, then total For our climatic conditions, soil types and Dhabi, also have plans underway to recycle irrigation allocations accumulate to more structure, plant type and irrigation as much as 80 percent of the water used by than the total renewable surface water. This techniques are among the many factors some of the communities. Falling energy is becoming untenable now because it t h a t i n u e n c e t h e e ffi c i e n c y a n d costs are also offering support in making all leads to serious droughts, rising decits due effectiveness of irrigation practices. It is of these approaches feasible. to increased population, urbanization, and therefore imperative to make the right domestic and industrial demands. decisions regarding what crops to grow, As far as industry is concerned, the creation, Simultaneously, climate change is causing adopt appropriate irrigation scheduling, adoption and availability of better serious impacts upon demand and supply decide on the best irrigation methods, take measuring and monitoring tools is being in the basin, thereby adversely affecting the appropriate soil enhancement measures developed by providers for improving prevailing water balance. and use all available sources of water. At the water productivity. This is allowing same time, decision makers have to be companies to improve their water tracking Despite the basin’s massive infrastructure, mindful of the fact that all of the above does mechanisms and determine where and the storage capacity stands limited to a not come without making the necessary how more efficiency can be introduced.

10 One of the key issues in our case is that science based analysis, policies, training for (IWRM) approach ensures water food and water is not valued properly, and therefore best practices and research inputs are energy security, all at the same time. In our any associated investment decisions get grossly lacking at each step of the way. case, in doing so, national security is also mired by economic distortions. Unless this strengthened because of the nature of our issue is satisfactorily resolved, proper Suffice to say for the purposes of this economy. incentives to save water cannot be discussion, it is reasonable to expect that meaningfully determined and imple- engineers have a collective responsibility to Finally, it is important to keep in mind that it mented. Therefore, the rst and foremost improve the lives of people, and therefore is the single basin in which our surface and requirement is the correct pricing of water. engineering education should reect that ground water and also our monsoons sense. Whether that is happening or not is happen to occur. While its integrated Once this is done, several other variables in still in some ways an open question, and my management requires comprehensive the water management equation automat- own view is that it is very poorly followed. planning, critical monitoring, prudent ically fall into place, and water manage- policy formulation and implementation ment becomes more readily amenable to Our country continues to become more and effective stakeholder participation, yet good scientic and economic analysis, populated, more crowded, more consum- as of now, there does not exist an institution resulting in sound policies that can get ing, more polluting, more connected and in which is fully responsible for its integrity meaningfully implemented. many ways less tolerant than at any time in and particularly its water resources. Unless our history. It is also broadly recognized issues of water management are addressed Another important issue is meeting the that we are altering our natural systems in on an urgent basis, the impending effects of challenge of climate change. Pakistan is various ways and various scales at all levels climate change will unleash an economic recognized to be a front liner among at an unprecedented rate. However, with chaos whose impacts will be far and wide. nations that are likely to be severely endorsement and commitment towards impacted by climate change. Since most of the MDG’s and the SDG’s, the challenge is to Whether our centers of learning and work the manifestations of climate change are be able to satisfy the needs of a population places are transitioning to the new vision, reected in water, therefore Pakistan, being that is increasing exponentially while remains an open question, although it a water based economy, is high at the end preserving the carrying capacity of our appears that we are way behind. But surely, of the vulnerability spectrum. Unless water ecosystems and biological and cultural the expectation of achieving sustainable management policies reect urgency and biodiversity, and deciding what is it that development and management of our importance, even national security may be should be done now and in the near future natural resources, particularly water jeopardized. Such is the grave signicance to ensure that basic needs for water, resources, cannot be met unless the of the matter for Pakistan. sanitation, nutrition, health safety and transition is made soon enough, because meaningful work, are fullled for all. engineers in some ways hold the key to The logic is simple: climate change for us is success. Maurice Strong (Secretary General an existential threat, and the key to water These problems and the ones we will face in of 1992, UN Conference on Environment security in practical terms is to improve to the near future require that the engineering and Development) said, ‘’Sustainable the best possible extent, the management profession revisit its role and adopt a new development will be impossible without of our water resources. This implies that mission, one that focuses on building of a the full input of the engineering profes- while climate science is still evolving and more sustainable, stable and equitable sion.’’ the situation needs to be monitored on that society. In the past, little attention was paid end, the focus should in the meantime, be to socio-economic and environmental critically on water management so that the impacts on natural systems. The 21st country is better prepared to absorb those century, however, requires transition to a shocks when they hit. That is also the same more holistic approach to engineering. For underlying philosophy that China has this to happen, a paradigm shift, from adopted. controlling to working with nature, is essential. At the same time, it requires more The third and nal point, is to assess where awareness of ecosystems, ecosystem the country stands with respect to human services and preservation and restoration resources and water management of natural capital. Finally, it also requires a institutions. There are two aspects to this; mindset of the mutual enhancement of one being educational and the other, work nature and humans that embraces the environment, both either strengthen or principles of sustainable development, weaken institutions. Unfortunately, a great renewable resource management and erosion of quality has taken place in both appropriate technology. areas. Educational standards have fallen in institutions of learning and a growing Modern engineering looks at water apathy to absence of recognition of merit, management in a very comprehensive way. and declining motivation in the work place Not only does it focus on technology but has led to capacity and competence decit. places equal emphasis on socio-economic This has led to limiting our implementation and environmental aspects, making it a capacity of development activities. This balanced mechanism of an integrated article will chiey address engineering process. In this way, harmony is achieved in education in that respect. designing water systems for development that simultaneously cater for the Contemporary challenges and the tools we sustainability of water sources, its ow use to deal with them seem poles apart. regimes and its ecosystems. Such inte- Modern engineering education, good grated water resources management

1 ‘Engineering Sustainable Development for the Future We Want’. Available at http://www.unescap.org/speeches/engineering-sustainable-development-future-we-want 11 Opinion Water Governance in Agriculture

decline. Per capita water availability has Pakistan is very interesting. Despite the decreased to 1,032 cubic meters in 2016 investment (more than USD 300 billion) from 5260 cubic meters in 1951. pumped into infrastructure development that dealt predominantly with increasing At such rapidly plunging rates, water the supply of water, the demand side and security is becoming a rapidly growing the weaknesses and inefficiencies of the problem that needs to be tackled on an established water management systems in emergency basis. Food production and agriculture and in other sectors remains livestock farming have already not grown at ignored. Inconsistent policies and a lack of an exemplary pace. With increasing water focus on critical problems such as climate, security issues, the threat to Pakistan's food water and ecology form the core of security is real and critical. A country with Pakistan's water management woes. The more than 200 million mouths to feed and a recent China Pakistan Economic Corridor rapidly growing population growth rate (CPEC) initiative houses the opportunity to Nasar Hayat cannot survive long-term water shortages. bring massive infrastructure development Water security affects not only the to the country and this has the possibility of Assistant Representative economic sectors but also the social fabric affecting the agricultural sector positively. Head of Programme of the society, especially in rural areas. Although CPEC does not include exclusive United Nations Food and Agriculture agriculture development funds, but the Organization, Pakistan Being an agro based economy, Pakistan trickle down effects will be immense for all derives 22 percent of its National Gross sectors including agriculture. Increase in Water is one of the most important Domestic Product (GDP) from agriculture tractor production, better roads for farm to elements of nature that sustains life and which supports 65 percent of the rural market access, exports to China or the maintains the ecological balance of our population, directly or indirectly, and world along with foreign investment into world. It is also one of the most important provides employment for 43 percent of the the sector, are main aspects of such a natural resources for any country in terms of labor force. The impact of water scarcity on positive impact. In addition, the dams economic, social, political and strategic the country's economy and primary sector being constructed will provide water perspectives. Its importance becomes employment will be devastating, eventu- storage for irrigation along with cheaper more pronounced given the fact that ally causing spill over effects in other electricity for farmers and a better energy around 800 million people suffer from sectors. A total of 54 million acres (71 supply as well. Agriculture, especially chronic hunger and the world needs to percent of the total arable land) is under livestock farming such as poultry, has produce 60 percent more food by the year cultivation and 82 percent of the cultivated greatly been affected by power outages 2050 to feed humanity. Water is essential in land is irrigated either from surface or and high rates of energy supply. Nonethe- agricultural productivity and against a groundwater sources.⁴ Irrigation water less, it would have been very prudent on backdrop of increasing water scarcity, food remains the central input for sustaining and Pakistan's part if a separate chunk of CPEC shortages in the future are a grim reality expanding the agricultural economy and would have dealt with increasing agricul- that the world needs to focus on, both in dominates water use in Pakistan. tural productivity in the country and the short and long term. strengthening the primary sector that Efforts have been made in the recent past to forms the backbone of the economy. Water is one of the most important study the issues and challenges surround- components of food production systems. ing water governance in Pakistan. Being a It is also important to remember that the Without water availability and improved country that takes pride in agriculture Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 efficiency in allocation of water resources, being the backbone of the economy, it goes formally adopted by the UN member states sustainability of our food production without saying how important water denes the Goals within which Pakistan can systems and their potential to provide for governance is for the national economy work to improve agriculture, water an ever-increasing population will become and the society itself. Water governance is a governance and food security. These a multidimensional threat for the survival of concept largely missing from Pakistan's include, SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms human communities. Access to water and national development and legislative everywhere, SDG2: End hunger achieve its effective utilization has the potential of narratives. food security and improved nutrition and evolving into a crisis given that its per capita promote sustainable agriculture and, SDG availability around the world continues to The critical aspect of water management in 6: Ensure availability and sustainable

1 World Food Programme, 'Hunger Statistics'. Available at https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats 2 Government of Pakistan, Economic Survey 2009-10, 'Chapter 2: Agriculture'. Available at http://www.nance.gov.pk/survey/chapter_10/02_Agriculture.pdf 3 Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2016), Labor Force Statistics. Available at http://www.pbs.gov.pk/agri-stat-tables; Agriculture Statistics Tables. Available at http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/labour-force-statistics 4 Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2016), Agriculture Census Tables. Available at http://www.pbs.gov.pk/agriculture-census-tables 12 management of water and sanitation for all. productivity, and equity in water resources quality remains lowest on the list of water The Goals can help dene development management in agriculture. The current sector priority actions. The focus of targets, indicators, and their specic institutional framework also faces governments on urban areas for develop- roadmaps on the way forward for the next weaknesses concerning clearly dened ment funding and mega infrastructure 15 years. Through inter-sectoral communi- long-term goals expressed as water policy, projects has pushed problems such as cation and collaboration, government can non-existent incentive structure (reward water quality into oblivion. Water misman- achieve the SDGs related to agriculture and and punishment) and reformed framework agement has led to dumping of minerals natural resources management. By for stakeholders to change behaviour for and waste in catchment areas, extremely adoption and aligning national and achieving maximum benecial end use of low water tables and a lack of conservation provincial planning with these SDGs, food water, ambiguous application of laws and mechanisms. This, along with problems security and water governance in Pakistan regulations, and inadequate executional such as water logging and salinity, has

Figure 1: Freshwater Availability (2007)

Freshwater availability, cubic meters per person and per year, 2007.

Scarcity Stress Vulnerability

Data non available 0 1 000 1 700 2 500 6 000 15 000 70 000 684 000

Source: FAO, Nations unies, World Resources Institute (WRI) can be improved. capacity from national to local government rendered thousands of acres unsuitable for level. cultivation. Pakistan's future food security, Water governance has been an area of economic stability and employment for investment in the past with the involve- Pricing is another issue. Price of water for labor is threatened due to these critical ment of both donor communities and the agriculture is extremely low; a farmer in issues that are nowhere on policy makers' government working to achieve this goal. Punjab, home to 70 percent of the agendas. An example would be when in 2013, 12 agriculture production in the country, pays international donors came together to PKR 135 (USD 1.3) per acre, per year for These issues raise a number of questions on prepare a position paper on Pakistan's canal water. Also, the reforms for farmer water governance. Let's examine some of water issues. Since then, the group has held institutions and participation in irrigation these issues in the context of Pakistan. six meetings hosted by different partners. system management, initiated in 1997 Although there appears hope, however, (Provincial Irrigation and Drainage Act Although controversial, but can we revisit individual donors might continue to follow 1997), have not delivered consistent the inter-provincial Water Accord and their own strategies of cooperation and improvements. The irrigation departments shares for agriculture? At the national level, conventional investment plans, but in the provinces are largely ineffective and how will we reach a decision regarding governance related interventions should rely on procedural rules set up by the British irrigation standing as a priority to make be made a complementary part of larger in the colonial era. Corruption among sure that Pakistan keeps producing enough efforts to achieve the overall objectives of officials, water theft by inuential food to support its population? Possibly secure, productive and sustainable water landowners and a general lack of mainte- even surplus to export to the world? management in agriculture in Pakistan. nance of canal infrastructure are the core reasons behind the non-delivery of the Surface water and its governance at the Here is a brief look at major water manage- reforms. provincial level is also of primary concern- ment issues. The water resources sub- what is it that should be done differently in sector lacks updated policy, law, regula- In addition, groundwater governance and an agenda of institutional reforms and of tions, rules, guidelines, and enforcement management is not a subject of interest in enhancing self-reliance and the account- capacit y for achieving efficienc y, most investment decisions and water ability of provincial stakeholders?

13 Governance of water sources on a micro or being put back into the water bodies. public and private service providers to level is also an issue that has a large impact Moreover, awareness of new technologies, adapt to their institutional capacities and upon agriculture. What will be helpful here, water conservation and protection of water ensure delivery of sustainable services to private investment or updating the sources is equally important in ensuring water users. The government and donors Irrigation and Drainage Act (1997)? How Pakistan attains water security in the near should work together in exploring private can we protect groundwater and use it future. sector investments in canal irrigation more efficiently for drinking water, and systems management. nally, what could be done to manage Donor groups also need to play their role environment ows in a better manner? more effectively: an example could be by The task of improving governance and collectively recognizing and articulating a management of water resources to help These questions present to us an opportu- coherent case for parallel development of Pakistan's agricultural sector and food nity. If an agreement can be reached on infrastructure and governance and security needs, might appear daunting but answers to these questions, the solutions investing in both aspects so that water can as they say where there is a will, there is a will become clearer. The solutions can be be controlled, delivered, and used for way. It is just that solutions require a wide ranging and far reaching. They can maximum sustainable benet to society. paradigm shift in water resource develop- include Public Private Partnerships, Mixed and contradictory messages should ment and management strategies for Government run projects, public infrastruc- be avoided. A higher priority should be sustainable agriculture in Pakistan. ture development schemes, NGO’s, donors given to the formulation and implementa- as well as the citizens. A greener and tion of problem-oriented water policies and ecologically friendly narrative in terms of strategies. This can be achieved by water policy needs to be peddled among providing technical and nancial support the population so that wastewater from and by setting timelines to achieve policy industries, homes and cities is treated objectives that are tied to investment properly before being reused for irrigation decisions. Moreover, they can support

© UNDP Pakistan 14 Opinion

Mainstreaming Women in the Water Sector: Old Challenges, Possible Solutions

remained more or less the same over the past 15 years, the percentage of house- holds with access to piped water or tap water has reduced over time. The percent- age of households with access to tap water fell from 34 percent in 2005 to 32 percent in 2010, and to a further 27 percent by 2015. Sanitation facilities also show a similar picture, where the percentage of house- holds with a ush toilet has increased from 52 percent to 73 percent between 2005 and 2015, but the proportion of households that have a ushing toilet connected to a piped sewerage system is still less than one quarter.⁷ Simi Kamal Kausar Hashmi Global Gender Issues in Water and Senior Group Head Grants Operations Manager, Research and Documentation Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), Hisaar Foundation Where Pakistan Stands Chair Academic Committee, Globally, men have a single role in society- Hisaar Foundation the productive role or earning an income. Women on the other hand, have the burden In his monumental book called the Pakistan ranks 147 on the Gender Develop- of four roles -productive, reproductive, 'Revenge of Geography', Robert Kaplan says ment Index (GDI), and 121 on the Gender societal linkages and care giving. They are that a good place to understand the Inequality Index (GII), while its Gender very often tied to homes because of their present, and to ask questions about the Empowerment Measure (GEM) is only multiple roles, so that their presence in the future, is on the ground, traveling as slowly 0.377.⁴ According to the 19th Annual water sector is seen as being 'domestic'- as possible. And when we travel slowly Human Development in South Asia Report carrying and storing water for home through Pakistan from the mountains of 2016, the region ranks in the bottom with consumption, cleaning toilets, doing the north, through the Indus basin and on respect to the female human development kitchen gardening etc. to the coastlines in the South, we see the index in the world, only better than Sub- gender gap in all its manifestations. And Saharan Africa. ⁵ A number of surveys carried out in the nowhere is it so stark as in Pakistan's decade of 2000 carried data on the number resource base and its main economic In the Global Gender Gap Report 2016 of hours women spent in fetching water, assets-land and water. Integrating a gender produced by the World Economic Forum 6, however, this kind of data collection has not sensitive approach to development and Pakistan ranked 143 out of 144 countries, been repeated since. These surveys conservation of water requires an under- down from 112 in 2006. While it ranked conrmed that rural women, especially in standing of the link between gender much better in terms of political and 'water stressed' communities, spend a high equality and sustainable water manage- economic participation, Pakistan's gender proportion of their time collecting water. ment. However, it needs to be stated at the gap is signicant and alarming, reecting The Pakistani Rural Household Survey of outset, that Pakistan's main regular the low status of women in Pakistan's 2001 found that 25 percent of women demographic, economic, development and agriculture-based economy-an economy reported fetching water during the week human development surveys and reports heavily dependent on water. There are no prior to the survey; and, in water stressed do not carry data on water and related areas regular and periodic gender disaggregated communities, the percentage of women disaggregated by gender to allow a trend regular reports on the use of water, spending time collecting water increased analysis. The latest report of the Social sanitation, irrigation and related areas. signicantly to up to 60 percent in rural Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) Baluchistan and 40 percent in rural Sindh. published in 2016 has some information on The situation in terms of rights and access Research shows that when access to urban water but it is not disaggregated by to water and sanitation, is nothing better. drinking water services worsen, women, gender . Although the number of households with not men, bear the higher time costs and access to an improved water source has according to one study, households in

1 Kaplan R D, The Revenge of Geography, Random House, 2012, pp xiii. 2 Social Development in Pakistan, Annual Review 2014-15: The State of Social Development In Urban Pakistan, SPDC, 2016. 3 Human Development Report 2015, UNDP 2015, http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/PAK.pdf 4 http://www.rrojasdatabank.info/hdr20072008tab29.pdf 5 http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=22_11_2016_002_003 6 Global Gender Gap Report, World Economic Forum, 2016, pp 284-285. 7 Pakistan Development Update-Making growth matter, The World Bank-IBRD.IDA, Nov 2016. 15 some rural communities could save as prots are expropriated by the 'system' or the agriculture sector.⁴ much as 1,200 hours per year if water was by the men of their families. This state of available within the home. Difficult access affairs affects how women can engage with Women's Status in Pakistan and to water increases women's work load and water sectors, especially agriculture and their Rights and Roles in Water reduces time that could be allocated to food production. other productive activities. In particular, in Sectors Pakistan, putting water sources closer to A large portion of the world's food output The Constitution of Pakistan (1973), Article home has been associated with increased originates in the hands of women farmers 25 states as follows: Ÿ time allocated by women for market work.⁸ and women provide over half the agricul- All citizens are equal before law and are tural workforce (if we add home farming as entitled to protection of law Ÿ Another World Bank study (which used well). Homestead production, backyard There shall be no discrimination on the primary data collected especially for the production and kitchen gardening etc, basis of sex alone Ÿ study) delineated that if a once daily contributes to household food security by Nothing in this Article shall prevent the frequency is assumed for women carrying providing direct access to food that can be State from making any special provision water, it would mean that more than 200 harvested, prepared and consumed within for the protection of women and hours a year were being spent in fetching living space. Women in Pakistan are not children water. The gures for one village under only careful users of water but also the study showed 1.73 hours spent in carrying custodians of this knowledge and practice. In spite of this, Pakistani women face many water twice a day, totaling to a yearly water gender inequalities which often determine collection time of 1,260 hours. If time spent Women in Pakistan also face discrimination their access to water and their participation in waiting and lling water containers was in the way their labor is viewed and i n wate r re l ate d d e b ate s, p o l i c y, also added, that would mean a further 300- recorded. 74 percent of women in rural programmes and community-based 400 hours per year. If looked in a nutshell, areas are economically active, yet only initiatives. Many contradictions remain. between 380-630 hours and up till 30-50 seven percent of women workers working tonnes of water carrying effort was an 50 hours and more are recorded as 'full- While 19.7 percent of parliamentary seats approximate number for the majority of time'. A full-time worker is dened as one are held by women, only 19.3 percent of villages. The study clearly illustrated that adult women have reached at least a this load fell predominantly on women The percentage of secondary level of education compared to members of the households.⁹ 46.1 percent of men. For every 100,000 live households with access to births, 170 women die from pregnancy Many development sector programs refer tap water fell related causes and the adolescent birth rate to women as beneciaries of water related 2005 is 27.3 births per 1,000 women of ages 15- interventions, as half or close to half. For 34% 19. Women's participation in the labor example, the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation 2010 market is 24.6 percent compared to 82.9 for Fund (PPAF) estimates that of the 14.7 32% men.⁵ million people availing its infrastructure 2015 and water projects, 49 percent are 27% Because of the dominant view in Pakistan women.⁰ Yet, the amount of women being that women's role in the water sector has to actively engaged in the water sphere, be it The percentage of do largely with domestic water, the core through participating in the workforce or households with a ush issues of ownership and control access are voicing out concerns, stands as a stark toilet has increased seldom in the forefront of research or reality. However, recent years have planning. The area of 'water rights' is very witnessed an increase of women in water 2005 blurred in Pakistani law, and land owner- advocacy, water NGOs, media and among 52% ship is usually a proxy for access to, or, water practitioners. entitlement to water. This means that other than water for drinking, sanitation and The toil of women, whether at home, at 2015 domestic needs, the only way to have water work or in public is not seen a 'work', if non- 73% entitlement, is by owing land. remunerated. Women form an overwhelm- ing part of the world's non-remunerated who does only agricultural work and thus, In the recent report of the World Economic labor force, especially in agriculture, but most women fall into the part-time Forum on the Global Gender Gap 2016 ⁶, own a tiny part of the world's agricultural category as they do household work also. Pakistan scored worst in terms of access to lands. Lack of property rights and tenure Therefore, there are probably more full- land use, control and ownership. Moreover, insecurity renders women farmers time women agricultural workers than the Pakistan Demographic and Health powerless. This is especially true of Pakistan, suggested by a recent survey on employ- Survey 2012-13 depicted that a higher where land ownership is also a requirement ment trends. proportion of men than women in Pakistan for right to water. own land. Only four percent of women own In Pakistan, women in rural areas do 4.9 land either alone or jointly, as compared Women have unequal rights, in some cases hours of unpaid care and domestic work with 31 percent of men.⁷ Given the their human rights are severely violated. per day, compared to only 0.5 hours for interplay of formal and customary laws in Pakistani women face discrimination and men. Only two out of every ten working age inheritance to the disadvantages of violence across the board. There are huge women are in the labor force, compared to women, they have perfunctory ownership constraints on women participating in seven out of every ten men, and three out of in a majority of cases with little control to collective action groups. Their incomes and every four female workers are employed in buy or sell .⁸

8 Pakistan Rural Household Survey 2001, World Bank. 9 Kamal S, Women and Water: Issues of Entitlement, Access and Equality, World Bank, 2005. 10 PPAF, Brochure Women at the Heart of our Work – why inclusion matters, 2016. 11 For a review of women in the water sector, see Situational Analysis of Women Water Professionals in South Asia, SaciWaters, India, August 2009. 12 See Annual Report on Violence Against Women in Pakistan, Aurat Foundation, 2014. 13 Pakistan Employment Trends, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Division Ministry of Economic Affairs and Statistics Government of Pakistan, 2011. 14 Human Development in South Asia 2016: Empowering Women in South Asia, HDC and Mahbub ul Haq Research center, LUMS. 15 Human Development Report 2015, UNDP 2015, http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/PAK.pdf 16 Global Gender Gap Report, World Economic Forum, 2016, pp 284-285 17 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, USAID, National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS), Islamabad Pakistan, 2012-13. 18 Kamal S, Use of Water for Agriculture in Pakistan: Experiences and Challenges presented at conference on The Future of Water for Food, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, 2009. 16 claiming entitlements to water. For are key to improving water management In 2011, a study from Aurat Foundation's example, women's use of common and have developed Women and Water USAID-funded Gender Equity Program property resources has been crucial in Networks across Pakistan, as well as other (GEP) found that while Pakistan's agricul- maintaining household water and food programs to support women farmers and tural policies appear to encourage the security, but gender disparities distort home-based agriculture.⁵ Rural support inclusion of women in the sector, they do access to land and water. Existing social and and poverty alleviation programs have not recognize them as registered farmers. cultural biases, inequitable inheritance ensured women's par ticipation as According to a land tenure and property laws and the inadequacies of legal beneciaries and active partners in water- rights prole on Pakistan, “In general, there structures further limit ownership and related infrastructure development.⁶ is little acceptance under customary and control by women. religious law for women's ability to control Conclusions and Way Forward and manage land”.⁹ The country's While water is crucial to Pakistan, the nexus The importance of empowering women agricultural policies promote cash crop of women and water is largely seen in terms across the board and mainstreaming farming for export, with support to farmers of romantic depiction and some attempts women in the management and gover- who hold more than ve acres of land. have been made at addressing women's nance of water, has been recognized at the Because the majority of Pakistani women practical needs through domestic water global level since the 1980s. Pakistan is a fall outside of this category, they are not management and small scale water signatory to the relevant declarations and recognized or registered as farmers. In projects. They remain largely invisible in commitments. The global commitments addition, the agricultural census does not water institutions, water policies, strategies, covering water do not specically address consider women as full-time agricultural programs and conservation initiatives. As workers, because they also work at home.⁰ the issues of equitable division of power, Pakistan faces a bleak future in terms of work, access to, or ownership of, environ- This means that all the work of women in water availability, high population growth growing food in and around their homes is mental entitlements (including water) rates and the depletion and pollution of its between men and women. Combining the not recognized as 'agriculture' and water bodies and systems, women are therefore neither remunerated nor valued. gender equity and equality commitments generally not recognized as an especially with water-related goals can, however, give vulnerable group in terms of impacts, nor as a solid boost to gender mainstreaming in The Tenth Five Year Perspective Plan (2010- a legitimate group to engage in the efforts the water sector in Pakistan and ensure that 15) speaks of a focus on women under rural to ward off the impending water-related the specic needs and concerns of, and development strategies. It states special crises. They are not recognized as a party to impact on, men and women from different emphasis accorded to women as playing a the current debate in the country on dams, social and economic groups, are identied vital role in agriculture, and of incentives to water infrastructure, water distribution, and addressed. The new Sustainable be provided to women (i.e. provision of irrigation, agriculture and competing Development Goals have the potential to land for landless, soft loans for purchase of demands for use of water. Given that the combine and build synergies to put women equipment, seeds, fertilizer etc). However, water sector is considered outside the squarely in the middle of water develop- there has yet to be an assessment to see if purview of women as such, there are few ment, conservation and management. these incentives were ever provided and women in Pakistan who have become what the results were. prominent in this area as visionaries, While there is no one-size-ts-all solution, scientists, planners, managers, technicians, the emerging technologies and credit lines A review of research studies on water in researchers and professionals. in the water sector can be made more Pakistan has shown that very few actually suitable to women's needs and emerging attempt a gender analysis or speak of Women water engineers and water agricultural value chains can break down gender impacts. Gender-disaggregated professionals face the 'glass ceiling', beyond traditional gender divisions of labor. We can data is very rarely available or is very which, their careers and professional design interventions in water supply, rudimentary, if available. The regular advancement opportunities are closed to irrigation, agriculture and municipal demographic and statistical reports have them. The 'feminization of poverty' is a sectors that explicitly target women and little reference to the water sector in depth, reality in Pakistan and visible in both urban get the 'buy-in' of men in these interven- or refer only to drinking water and and rural areas. tions, so they do not block the advance- sanitation (but not disaggregated by ment of women. There is need to promote gender). Given that in Pakistan land ownership is a collective action among women and proxy for water rights; and few women own cultivate women's orientation to income, Women's Entitlement and Access to agricultural lands, they have limited say in rather than subsistence only, that is, to Water how water is distributed. So the benets of move from kitchen gardening to produc- The poor in Pakistan are concentrated in irrigation infrastructure and rehabilitation, tive agriculture-and protect women's environmentally fragile ecological zones, funded by the government, have directly control over their economic gains. Such a where they face oods, droughts and enriched male landowners. Land values shift will require the recruitment and d i ffe re n t k i n d s o f e nv i ro n m e n t a l have increased about 30 percent in the past training of more women as service degradation, including polluted water decade and these male landowners are providers, professionals and experts. bodies and fast-depleting water sources. likely to continue to receive the lion's share Some serious analytical work has been of the benets of low water charges and And nally, Pakistan must accept explicitly done on the idea of 'entitlements', and the infrastructure improvement.⁴ that it must invest in women as drivers of linkages between poverty and environ- water management and conservation, ment, including water. This work shows In spite of these difficulties, there have been agricultural growth and food security. clearly how women are consistently more some good practices and examples in disadvantaged than men, when it comes to Pakistan. Some NGOs believe that women

19 USAID. 2010. USAID Country Prole: Property Rights & Resource Governance. Pakistan. Available at http://usaidlandtenure.net/sites/default/les/country-proles/full- reports/USAID Land Tenure Pakistan Prole 0.pdf (page 8) 20 Ibid. Page 10. 21 The Tenth Five Year Perspective Plan-Investing in People, 2010-15, Planning Commission GoP, Islamabad, pp 87. 22 Ibid, pp 89. 23 For example, the Pakistan Labour Survey, Pakistan Economic Survey, Household Integrated Economic Survey and Agricultural Census. 24 Kamal S, Use of Water for Agriculture in Pakistan: Experiences and Challenges presented at conference on The Future of Water for Food, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, 2009. 25 Proceedings of the International Water Conference on Securing Sustainable Water for All 2015, organized by Hisaar Foundation, 17th and 18th November 2015. 26 These include Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, national and provincial rural support programs. 17 Opinion Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources of Pakistan

combat the impact of climate change, new the capacity to eliminate the entire world's targets appear to be developed including glacier mass. Even the least damaging ensuring that developing countries receive scenario whereby the temperature increase an annual allocation of USD 100 billion until is at 1ºC accompanied by increase in rainfall 2020 in order to aid them in mitigating the and snow, glaciers would continue to impacts of climate change. retreat over the 21st century. The Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya (HKH) glaciers It has been documented that climate are particularly vulnerable to climate change has direct impacts on the drivers of change indicators. This ice-bound water the economy including agricultural may result in the danger of Glacial Lake outputs and worker productivity. In a Outburst Floods (GLOF) and cause recent scientic study, researchers found unpredictable inows to rivers supporting that by the year 2100, unmitigated climate one third of the world’s population in the change could reduce the global Gross downstream. Resulting from increased Dr. Saeed A. Asad Domestic Product (GDP) by 23 percent.⁴ For glacial melts, sea level is projected to South East Asia, where the economies rely increase at 0.2-0.4 mm annually during the Assistant Professor heavily on agriculture and natural current century thereby mounting a Centre for Climate Research and resources, the impact of global warming is challenge of erosion, salt water intrusion in Development (CCRD), expected to be worse.⁵ Climate change, to fresh water aquifers and compromised COMSATS Institute of Information therefore, would be a very serious water security for millions of people, as well Technology, Islamabad. challenge hindering sustainable develop- as biodiversity in the coastal habitats. Global Scenario ment and poverty eradication goals in the It has been scientically proven that climate region. Mitigation measures for climate National Scenario change is affecting every country in the change are imperative to achieve various According to the Global Climate Risk Index world, impacting both natural and man- SDGs including those for sustainable (2016) Pakistan ranks 8th (high risk) in terms made systems. Climate change indicators economic growth, poverty and inequality. of its vulnerability to climate change.⁷ This have accelerated the melting of polar ice vulnerability to climate risks has amply shields resulting in a gradual rise in sea The global temperature is projected to been demonstrated in recent years by levels. Some regions are facing extreme continue rising dramatically if no policy severe drought (1999-2002), and oods, weather events such as unprecedented interventions are made to limit the Global including the very devastating one in 2010 rainfalls, while others are experiencing heat Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. With which affected 20 percent of Pakistan's waves and droughts. The current changing rising temperatures, resulting in acceler- population.⁸ The country's economic climate scenario presents a high risk to the ated glacier melting and consequently structure is predominantly dependent achievement of water and food security. increase in sea levels and the frequency of upon the agricultural sector, which This is especially true for developing oods, millions of people are put at risk, contributes approximately 22 percent of countries, who, owing to their limited particularly those residing in coastal and the national GDP along with being an adaptive capacities, are more vulnerable to low-lying areas. Although melting glaciers important source of livelihood to 67 the risks posed by climate change. has been an occurrence since the end of the percent of the rural population. Climatic According to UNDP, an annual investment ice age, however, the past few decades have parameters like increase in temperature, of USD six billion is required for disaster risk witnessed an increase in the melting of rainfall intensication, frequent episodes of management of natural disasters such as these fresh water reservoirs-70 percent of drought and oods, and heat and cool ooding, tsunamis and earthquakes. With the world's freshwater is frozen in glaciers- waves etc. all render the agro-based the worldwide adoption of the Sustainable at rates that cannot be explained by economy of Pakistan more vulnerable. Development Goals (SDGs), whereby Goal historical data.⁶ Empirical simulations 13 deals specically with taking action to project that a temperature rise of 4ºC has Climate change is expected to amplify

1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate Change 2014–Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Regional Aspects. Cambridge University Press. 2 UNDP, Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 13 Climate Action. Available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-13-climate- action.html 3 UN. (2015), Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Available at: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change-2/ 4 Hsiang, S. M., Burke, M. & Miguel, E. Global non-linear effect of temperature on economic production. Nature 527, 15725 (2015). 5 IPCC, 2014: Summary for policymakers in Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 6 World Wide fund for Nature (WWF), Climate Change: Glaciers. Available at WWF.panda.org/climate change/glaciers 7 Kreft S., Eckstein D., Dorsch L. & Fischer L., Global Climate Risk Index (2016). German watch, Munich ReNatCatService. Available at https://germanwatch.org/en/download/13503.pdf04 8 Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, Annual Report 2011: Building Resilience to Disasters-Delivering Results. Available at 18 water stresses in Pakistan. A growing threat the country's efforts to increase its water, precipitation in the Upper Indus Basin and a of GLOF, increased glacier melting because energy and food security has been decline in the lower portion of the Basin. of rising temperatures, seawater intrusion, acknowledged by the Government of intense and unpredictable rainfall and Pakistan.⁰ Glaciers respond quickly to changes in their changes in monsoon are just some of the surrounding climate by gaining or losing ways in which climate change is expected Projected Changes in the Climate mass in the form of snow and ice, and to affect Pakistan's hydrologic resources. and Indus Basin hence, are extremely susceptible to climatic Any climate change triggered events The Indus Basin receives its water ows variations. According to empirical accelerating/decelerating the snow and ice from rainfall, snow and glacier melting. evidences, glaciers of the HKH region are melts in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram- Changes in the climatological parameters rapidly losing mass and strongly retreating. Himalaya (HKH) mountains have the will have an impact on the distribution and However, several studies in recent years

Figure 1: Water demand scenarios in Pakistan

250.00 219.59 194.69 199.75 197.83 186.8 183.19 189.92 200.00 180.41 175.8 172.8 178.69

150.00

100.00

50.00

0.00 2015 2030 2050 2030 2050 2030 2050 2030 2050 2030 2050

moderate Business as Strong demand Business as demand usual scenario Climate change management usual scenario management with exceeded scenario scenario scenario extrapolation

Industry 2.30 2.65 2.73 2.65 2.73 2.65 2.73 4.70 5.80 2.65 2.73 Municipalities 5.11 7.15 9.96 7.15 9.96 7.15 9.96 8.22 11.45 7.58 10.66 Agriculture 173.00 177.00 182.00 166.00 170.50 163.00 166.000 177.00 182.50 187.60 206.20 Total 180.41 186.8 194.69 175.8 183.19 172.8 178.69 189.92 199.75 197.83 219.59

Agriculture Municipalities Industry potential to cause serious repercussions on timing of precipitation (rainfall and have also reported the 'Karakoram water ows in the Indus Basin. This would snowfall) and on the melting of snow and anomaly' of expanding or neutral glaciers ultimately have implications for all sectors ice. The impact of climatic changes in the in the Karakoram region. Such paradoxical of economy especially agriculture, given period leading up to the year 2050 is more trends within the same glacial region that 90 percent of the total agricultural likely to be reected in changes in the support the hypothesis that changes are produce depends on the Indus Basin timing of peak ows and increased more likely to be controlled by local Irrigation System.⁹ Along with these risks, variability in ow levels, primarily due to dynamics than by regional or global managing ground water resources greater unpredictability in the rainfall trends.⁴ continues to be a major challenge in the (monsoon) regime. Precipitation levels in Indus Basin. The monsoon season, the Indus Basin will increase during the Inuenced by climate change indicators, especially, swells up waterlogging and summer period (June to August) over its accelerated glacier melting resulting in sea salinity when tube wells tap in to brackish upper, central-eastern and southern level rise is a major threat to coastal habitats ground water. These risks amplify an regions and hence the ows. Certain and mangrove forest ecosystems globally. already problematic situation given that regions over the Indus Basin have a According to the Intergovernmental Panel Pakistan is amongst the most water- predicted increase of 10-25 percent on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013), frequency stressed nations in the world. Per capita precipitation between 2021 and 2050, and severity of extreme weather events access to surface and groundwater sources compared with the baseline period of 1961 have been predicted to surge globally. is expected to continue to decline in the to 1990. Temperatures in the Indus Basin Prolonged ooding and intrusion of sea decades ahead, driven largely by demo- will continue to rise in the coming decades- water may cause plant death or alter graphic changes and urbanization. The in both summer and winter-and there is a species composition thus hindering potential for climate change to jeopardize possibility of an increase in mean annual mangroves productivity. As per recent

9 Qureshi, A. S. (2011). Water management in the Indus basin in Pakistan: Challenges and opportunities. Mountain Research and Development, 31(3), 252–260. 10 Government of Pakistan (2012). National Climate Change Policy. Islamabad: Ministry of Climate Change. 11 Shrestha et al. (2015). The Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas: Impact of Climate change on water resources in ve of Asia's major river Basins. ICIMOD, GRID-Arendal and CICERO, Kathmandu, Nepal. 12 Ibid 13 The Karakoram anomaly refers to the observation that glaciers in the Karakoram Mountain range have either remained stable or even increased in size in contrast to glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountain ranges, as well as other glaciers worldwide, which have receded in recent decades due to climate change. 14 Singh et al. (2011). Climate change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas: the state of current knowledge. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). 19 recorded increases of 3.2 mm/year in sea energy production and public health. For projected change in peak run-off and level, coastal ooding appears a major instance, the likely consequences on increasing temperatures could lead to possibility with sea level projections agriculture could be less water availability, conicting water demands between showing a rise by 0.98 mm by the year shifts in cropping patterns and crop different users. It is therefore imperative 2100.⁵ Frequency of Atlantic hurricanes rotations accompanied by signicant yield that the resulting growing trade-offs may double up, as a direct result of human reductions of Pakistan's main cash crops- between other water users and energy induced climate change triggered extreme wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton and maize. generation are considered and changes in La Niña events ⁶, however, storm formation Pakistan's expanding thermal power water allocation rules are carefully and length would be spatially variable. production is highly dependent on water assessed. Mangrove position in relation to storm and sensitive to temperature increases. track and wind velocity would play a critical Projected increases in air temperatures may Described as climate change 'hot-spots', the role in determining the vulnerability of affect thermal power plants by decreasing river basins of South Asia experience these Rhizophora.⁷ Rainfall patterns and the efficiency of the thermal conversion regular occurrences of extreme weather rising temperatures, among other climate process, resulting in a loss of production or events, which are projected to occur more change indicators, would inuence electrical output.⁰ Similarly, for gas frequently and with greater magnitude mangrove distribution, extent, growth rate, turbines, a rise of 5.5°C in ambient air expected to cause dire economic, social species composition, phenology and temperature may reduce output by and environmental consequences. The productivity.⁸ In Pakistan, the mangroves approximately three to four percent. Such National Climate Change policy has failed loss is momentous, where expanding conditions may fuel the competition for to address the implications of climate erosion and sea water trespassing has increased water resources in order to meet change on critical sectors such as water, resulted in the extinction of numerous the growing needs of these installations. and issues like widening gaps between the mangrove species. Due to a rise in sea Hydroelectric power installations may also supply and demand of water. It is impera- levels, erosion is approximately 61 be affected by greater variability in water tive to integrate such climate change meters/year ⁹ totaling a loss of 0.1 million ows. A greater risk of negative health measures whilst planning national hectares of fertile land to erosion, coupled outcomes due to poor water quality is also a strategies and policies, so as to have with approximately 75 percent of a loss of likely outcome, as the increase in heavy preparedness measures for climate related Pakistan's mangroves in the last three rainfall events, oods and droughts is calamities. Capacity building for mitigation decades. The erosion and intrusion directly proportional to the increase in and adaptation in climate changes, continue to escalate with every mm rise in climatic variations. awareness raising and technological sea level, shrinking mangrove ecosystems advancements for early warning systems and exposing the country and coastal areas Increased Water Demand Inuenced and impact reductions would simply be a to tropical cyclones like Yemyin (2007) and by Climate Change dream without giving thoughtful consider- Phet (2010). Climate change, inefficient use of water for ations to climate change at policy and irrigation, and resultantly, groundwater research levels. Unfortunately, all these Climate change is projected to intensify the overexploitation limits the country's water repercussions would jeopardize the risks to already vulnerable coastal security. During the last two decades, country's ability to attain the sustainable communities globally. This is true especially demand has increased by eight percent for per capita economic growth and meet the for developing countries who possess cropping only. Whilst the supply might not target of minimum seven percent GDP limited resilience and adaptive capacities to have serious impacts, however, the annual growth by 2030, as dened under coastal oods. By 2030, an approximate 46 demand will increase signicantly under the SDGs. percent of the global population will be different scenarios (Figure 1). Climatic abiding within a 100 km radius from the variations may increase cumulative water Thus, there is a growing need to increase coast, almost twice the present distance. demand by up to 13 percent by 2050, for all capacity in Pakistan to anticipate and Currently, coastal ooding impacts a economic sectors. These increases in water minimize the impact of climate change on population of nearly 10 million, a gure demand are triggered by higher tempera- water resources by: expected to rise up to 50 million by the end tures particularly in the plain areas of the Ÿ Deepening knowledge and action on of the 21st century. Consequently, coastal country. The immediate threat posed by water demand and ways in which to communities will also be victim to various climate change to Pakistan's water sector promote more efficient water use; socio-economic ramications including therefore, is on the demand side rather than Ÿ Strengthening research capacity in land loss, outbursts of marine-related availability. Any change in water ows or climate change adaptation; and, infectious diseases, infrastructure and loss ever increasing demand of water triggered Ÿ Taking concrete measures to incorpo- of biodiversity rich coastal habitats. by climate change could have serious rate these adaptation mechanisms at Although different regions will encounter repercussions on the country's economy. the policy level, a notion currently being different level of impacts, however, the Per capita economic growth is already at suggested as the main impetus behind economic vulnerability of delta cities is low to medium scale and its sustainability the country's future line of action in the imminent under the current scenarios of would be hard to achieve unless serious water sector. climate change. attempts are made. As far as hydropower production is concerned, given that An amalgamation of multiple elements The impacts of climate change on water changes in water ow patterns in the Indus including technical advancements and sources will have consequences for other River Basin will not necessarily result in any social considerations is required in order to sectors as well, including agriculture, implications for large hydro projects, a combat the far reaching impacts of climate

15 Church, J.A., P.U. Clark, A. Cazenave, J.M. Gregory, S. Jevrejeva, A. Levermann, M.A. Merrield, G.A. Milne, R.S. Nerem, P.D. Nunn, A.J. Payne, W.T. Pfeffer, D. Stammer and A.S. Unnikrishnan, 2013: Sea Level Change. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. 16 Cai et al. (2015). Increasing frequency of extreme El Niño events due to greenhouse warming. Nature Climate Change 4:111–116. 17 Rhizophora is a genus of tropical mangrove trees, sometimes collectively called true mangroves. 18 Gilman et al. (2008). Threats to mangroves from climate change and adaptation options: a review. Aquatic Botany 89:237–250. 19 Ibid. 20 Makky, M. and Kalash, H. (2013). Potential Risks of Climate Change on Thermal Power Plants. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236174007 21 Asian Development Bank (ADB). (2012). Climate Risk and Adaptation in the Electric Power Sector. Available at http://www19.iadb.org/intal/intalcdi/PE/2012/12152.pdf 20 change. First, an integrated water resources Moreover, a coherent national water policy the post-secondary level to build capacity management approach encompassing with due consideration to climate change to undertake research and action to reduce both surface and ground water, is the need should be nalized at the earliest. Only vulnerability to climate change impacts, of the hour. Second, thorough studies at integrated planning is not sufficient and accompanied by an increasing role of provincial levels incorporating vulnerabil- the planning trajectory of top-down while government in the promotion of water ity assessments, need to be carried out to neglecting local concerns, has often demand reduction strategies. Finally, fully understand how climate change will yielded non-satisfactory results in the past. increased focus on the implications of affect their water resources and the Now is the time to strategically connect growing water demand and the impacts of associated socioeconomic consequences local NGOs and national action plans, with climate change in energy planning is of of these changes, as well as identify priority neighboring NGOs and governments. paramount importance. climate risk management strategies. Third, fostering the development of a climate Last but not the least, Pakistan's climate change community of practice in Pakistan change and water policy needs to is highly recommended. strengthen climate change education at

© UNDP Pakistan

21 Opinion Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH): A case study on Pakistan

effluents and indiscriminate applications of country. Provincial level comparisons agrochemicals in agriculture, are the main delineate that the number of households factors contributing to the deterioration of using tap water as the main source of water quality. Microbial and chemical drinking water is highest in Sindh (41 pollutants are the main factors responsible percent) followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa exclusively or in combination for various (KP) (35 percent), Baluchistan (33 percent) public health problems. and nally Punjab (18 percent). In Islamabad, only 20 percent households are Safe water remains a key challenge as with using tap water as the main source of the majority of the water available in the drinking water. country, less than 20 percent is safe for drinking. 16 million people in Pakistan Threats to drinking water quality include have no choice but to collect unsafe water unsafe handling and storage in households: from unsafe sources and it is ranked in the water drawn from safe sources may be Mian Muhammad Junaid top 10 countries (Table 1) with the greatest contaminated by the time it reaches and is number of people living without access to ultimately consumed by households. In Manager Basic Services safe water. Three million people suffer from some areas of the country, the availability of UN-HABITAT Pakistan water borne diseases every year , and water is scarce. Poor governance, environ- Pakistan is among the ve countries that mental degradation, over-extraction and have the highest rate of diarrheal deaths. climate change are further diminishing Current Situation Water related issues Table 1: Top 10 countries without access to safe water Pakistan is culturally and linguistically diverse, with an equally varied set of Country Population political viewpoints and cultural mores. The India 75.778 Million country depends heavily on annual glacier melts and monsoon rains. Water from these China 63.167 Million sources ows down the rivers and out to the sea. En route, there are seepages into the Nigeria 57.757 Million ground, where water-bearing rocks or aquifers absorb and store this water. Most Ethopia 42.251 Million parts of the country receive scarce rainfall and have little or no access to surface water. Domestic Republic of Congo 33.906 Million According to a report published by the Indonesia 32.286 Million Asian Development Bank, the country's storage capacity is limited to a 30 day United Republic of Tanzania 23.239 Million supply currently, which is well below the recommended 1,000 days for countries Bangladesh 21.088 Million with a similar climate scenario as Pakistan. Water pollution is one of the major threats Kenya 17.206 Million to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water Pakistan 08.6 Million quality is poorly managed and monitored. Drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater, are contaminated with According to the Pakistan Social and Living already scarce freshwater resources. coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides Standards (PSLM) survey 2014-15⁴, a Improvement of drinking water quality, throughout the country. Various drinking national shift has been observed from tap such as point-of-use disinfection, can lead water quality parameters set by the World water to motorized pumping in the last few to a 45 percent reduction of diarrhea Health Organization (WHO) are frequently years. The use of hand pumps has episodes .⁵ violated. Human activities like improper decreased, however, tap water is still the disposal of municipal and industrial main source of drinking water in the Over the years, Pakistan has developed

1 Pakistan council of research – Water quality status in Rural Areas of Pakistan (2010). Available at ttp://www.pcrwr.gov.pk/Btl_wr_report/Rural%20Areas%20Report/WQSReport.pdf 2 Wateraid, Water at what cost? The state of World's water 2016. Available at http://www.wateraid.org/uk/what-we-do/policy-practice-and-advocacy/research-and- publications/view-publication?id=3f44e1ad-49a3-425f-a59b-b5f2c1145fd9 3 PRI – Million sick due to lack of water in Pakistan. available at http://www.pri.org/stories/2009-04-20/millions-sick-due-lack-clean-water-pakistan 4 Pakistan Social and Living Standards Survey 2014. Available at http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/les//pslm/publications/PSLM_2014-15_National-Provincial- District_report.pdf 5 Center of Disease control and prevention. Global WaSH facts. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/wash_statistics.html#seven] 22 comparisons of 2014-15 results delineate Figure 1: Water demand scenarios in Pakistan that Punjab has the highest percentage of Main sources of drinking water in the country (PSLM) households reporting no toilets (16 percent), followed by Baluchistan (13 40 percent), KP (12 percent), and nally Sindh (7 percent). 35

30 Pakistan is one of the only two countries in the world (other being Afghanistan) which 25 has failed to stop transmission of polio and there are still substantial challenges to 20 overcome before the prospect of a polio- 15 free future for the children of this country becomes a reality. As long as a single child 10 remains infected with poliovirus, children 5 in all countries are at risk of contracting the disease. In areas with poor sanitation, the 0 poliovirus virus easily spreads from feces Tap Water Hand Pump Motor Pump Dug Well Others into the water supply, or, by touch, into food. In 2015, Pakistan recorded 82 percent 2010-11 2012-13 2014-15 fewer cases as compared to 2014. The number of children paralyzed by polio at policies of Water and Sanitation, however, out vital segments of urban society in terms the end of June 2016 has been reduced by policy formulation has lacked consistent of service delivery and also lead to poor 60 percent over a year. However, the virus review and effective implementation. The resource identication. remains active in three core reservoir proportion of the budget for WaSH as zones-the Khyber-Peshawar corridor, compared to other social sectors, is Almost half of the country inhabitants live Karachi and the Quetta block, as well as dismally low at 0.2 percent of the GDP.⁶ In below the poverty line (earning less than areas outside of the core reservoirs zones addition to this, the allocated funds are USD 2 per day) and almost 21 percent of the like northern Sindh and Bannu district in either not efficiently utilized or remain total population is classied as “extremely KP. unspent. Strong coordination between poor” (earning USD 1.25 per day).⁷ They different WaSH sector partners in the bear the brunt of WaSH deprivation as only At present, 91 percent of Pakistanis have country is inevitable to help recognize 13 percent of the poorest have access to access to improved water, and 64 percent to clean water and sanitation as a basic human improved sanitation as compared to 80 improved sanitation. This is built on right in the constitution of Pakistan. percent amongst the richest.⁸ Open encouraging examples of community-led defecation is when people go out in elds, sanitation services by adopting the Sanitation related issues forests, open bodies of water, or other open Pakistan Approach to Total Sanitation Pakistan's population is expected to reach spaces rather than using a toilet. It is (PATS) leading to a large number of 230 million (presently at 190 million) by incredibly dangerous, as contact with communities attaining status of open 2030, with its urban population increasing human waste can cause diseases such as defecation free (ODF). Currently, there is a from 38.3 percent (2014) to 46.6 percent, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, polio, diarrhea, dearth of new or improved WaSH technol- with about 17 cities containing inhabitants worm infestation and under nutrition. An ogy options in both rural and urban realms. exceeding one million. In urban areas, estimated 25 million people defecate in the However, there is an opportunity to bridge providing sanitation for all is a notoriously open with variations between urban and this gap by bringing in national and complex challenge, especially when trying rural areas: 21 percent in rural and one regional best practices on affordable to nd alternatives to expensive sewerage percent in urban.⁹ The country is ranked technologies. A number of academic and systems. Fecal sludge management (FSM) is ninth in the top ten countries with most research institutions exhibit research gaining more attention as a crucial link in people defecating in the open which is 32 capacity, but lack the focus to generate delivering on-site sanitation because both people per square km, whereas ranked practical WaSH technologies. This is a great its collection, through pit emptying and its fourth in the top ten countries with the opportunity to link academic and research treatment, are usually expensive, neglected most improvement in access to sanitation institutions with the private sector. and poorly developed. Data gap in the between 1990 and 2015.⁰ urban sector in Pakistan is one of the key Hygiene related issues limitations for sustainable urbanization and Overall, there were only 13 percent In Pakistan, every year 39,000 children it compels planners and decision makers to households in 2014-15 that did not have under the age of ve die due to diarrhea, take decisions based on estimates or even sanitation facilities as compared to 15 out of which 88 percent is attributed to guesswork. Without sufficient knowledge percent in 2012-13. This varies greatly unsafe water supply, inadequate sanitation of the demographic, economic, cultural, between urban and rural areas; one percent and hygiene. Education and communica- physical and environmental dynamics of of urban households have reported no tion are important components of Pakistan's cities, urban WaSH solutions sanitation facility as compared to 21 promoting hygiene, however education designed by city authorities tend to leave percent of rural households. Provincial level alone does not necessarily result in

6 World Health Organization – Glass 2014. Available at http://www.who.int] 7 Government of Pakistan – Poverty safety social net survey (2014-15). Available at http://nance.gov.pk 8 UNICEF – Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water updates (2015) Available at http://www.unicef.org 9 World health organization and United Nations Children Fund 2015 “25 years of progress on Sanitation and Drinking water – 2015 update and MDG assessment”, Joint Monitoring programme for Water supply and Sanitation 10 WaterAid, 'It's no joke. State of the world toilets 2015'. Available at http://www.wateraid.org/uk/what-we-do/policy-practice-and-advocacy/research-and-publications/view- publication?id=3f44e1ad-49a3-425f-a59b-b5f2c1145fd9 11 UNICEF Pakistan. Available at http://www.unicef.org/pakistan/overview.html 12 World Health Organization – Glass 2014. Available at http://www.who.int 13 World Health Organization Global Health Observation Data. Available at http://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.ghe1002015-pak?lang=en 23 improved practices. An estimated 46 WaSH and Health The Ministry of Education is the lead agency percent of the population does not have a Water, sanitation and hygiene are funda- for the implementation of WaSH in schools handwashing facility at home with soap mental to health. Despite progress on child programming. One out of every three and water.⁴ 57 percent households in mortality, infectious diseases still pose the schools has no drinking water. Several urban and only six percent households in largest threat to the health of young studies conducted in Pakistan reect the rural areas have a garbage collection children. An infection such as diarrhea is the lack of access to facilities required by system.⁵ Promoting behavioral change is a third biggest killer of children under ve ⁶ adolescent school going girls to maintain gradual process that involves working and almost 90 percent of cases of diarrhea menstrual hygiene. These include the lack closely with communities, studying are caused by poor WaSH.⁷ 50 percent of of private and clean toilets with sufficient existing beliefs, dening motivation under-nutrition is due to a lack of WaSH,⁸ water and soap, and free or subsidized strategies, designing appropriate commu- and under-nutrition is an underlying risk sanitary napkins or any mechanism for nication tools and nally, encouraging factor for around 30 percent of under-ve providing awareness on appropriate practical steps towards positive practices. deaths.⁹ Repeated episodes of diarrhea can menstrual hygiene management (MHM) Research shows that regular handwashing make under-nourished children predis- practices. with soap can reduce the number of posed to pneumonia.⁰ A lack of hygiene incidents of diarrhea, a disease which can and sanitation and the associated diarrhea WaSH and Gender be deadly for children, by around 50 also contributes to stunting and inhibited A lack of access to WaSH affects women and percent. cognitive development in millions of girls disproportionally, due to biological children worldwide. Globally, 2.5 billion and cultural factors. Women are often Efforts are needed to develop strategies people still lack access to sanitation, vulnerable to harassment or violence when and tools to encourage handwashing causing water sources, homes and they have to travel long distances to fetch promotion by community health and surrounding environments to become water, use shared toilets, or practice open outreach workers and work with schools to contaminated and contributing to poor defecation. Women and girls often wait empower children as hygiene ambassadors health and non-preventable child deaths. until nightfall to defecate, which increases and agents of change within their families the risk of assault. Many choose to 'hold it' and communities. One of the biggest WaSH and Education or limit their consumption of food and drink challenges to ending open defecation is Fullling every child's right to water, to delay the need to relieve themselves, not just providing clean and safe toilets, but sanitation and hygiene education remains which can increase the chance of urinary changing the behavior of entire communi- a major challenge for policymakers, school tract infections. The shame and indignity of ties. A large part of the WaSH sector administrators and communities in many defecating in the open also affects women's working on ending open defecation should countries. Each year, children lose millions self-esteem.⁴ focus on generating awareness, sharing of school days because of water related information and spurring behavior change illnesses, of which majority are lost due to Lack of access to WaSH at home and school in an effort to bridge the gap between diarrhea alone. More than 40 percent of has a negative impact on children's building toilets and their proper use. diarrhea cases in schoolchildren result from education, particularly for girls. Opportuni- transmission in schools rather than ties for learning are lost when children have Linkages of WaSH with other homes. Improving WaSH conditions in to spend time collecting water or nding a Sectors schools can also help to prevent worm safe place to defecate or urinate in the infestations, of which 100 percent of annual open; this is especially a problem for girls WaSH and Climate Change cases globally can be attributed to poor due to their additional burden of MHM. A Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected to sanitation and hygiene. By integrating cost- lack of access to drinking water and toilets increase ooding which will affect water effective and sustainable WaSH solutions during the school day affects the learning resources within the next two to three with education programs, dramatic environment for both students and decades. Endemic morbidity and mortality decrease in child morbidity can be teachers. Adolescent girls in particular are due to diseases primarily associated with achieved while improving access to and disinclined to use school toilets that are oods and droughts are expected to rise. effectiveness of education. Cost-effective, dirty or lack privacy, especially when they Increases in coastal water temperatures scalable and context-relevant interven- are menstruating, and this affects their would exacerbate the abundance of tions, handwashing with soap and attendance. cholera. The impact of climate change will integrating hygiene education into also aggravate the existing social inequali- curricula are key elements to improving With improved access to WaSH, women ties of resource use and intensify social WaSH in Schools. have more time to undertake income factors leading to instability, conicts, generating activities. WaSH programmes displacement of people and changes in In Pakistan, there is neither a National Plan also provide women with the water needed migration patterns. of Action for WaSH in Schools, nor a national to carry out economic activities and can budget allocation in schools programming. create opportunities for paid work. Easier

14 World health organization and United Nations Children Fund 2015 “25 years of progress on Sanitation and Drinking water – 2015 update and MDG assessment”, Joint Monitoring programme for Water supply and Sanitation 15 Country paper on sanitation, Pakistan. South Asian Conference on Sanitation VI. 2016 16 Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) 2012 17 World Health Organization (2008) Safer water, better health: Costs, benets and sustainability of interventions to protect and promote health. Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241596435_eng.pdf 18 World Health Organization (2008) Safer water, better health: Costs, benets and sustainability of interventions to protect and promote health. Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241596435_eng.pdf 19 World Health Organization (2012) Children: Reducing mortality. Fact sheet 178. Available at: www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs178/en/index.html 20 Schlaudecker E P, Steinhoff M C and Moore S R (2011) Interactions of diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition in childhood: Recent evidence from developing countries. Current Opinion in Infectious Disease, vol 24, no 5, pp 496-502 21 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) (2013) Progress on drinking water and sanitation, 2013 update. Available at: www.wssinfo.org/leadmin/user_upload/resources/JMPreport2013.pdf 22 WHO/UNICEF (2010). Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Retrieved [http://www.unicef.org/media/media_45481.html] 23 Alif Ailaan regional factsheets 2014. Available at http://alifailaan.pk/fact-sheets 24 WaterAid post 2015 toolkit. Available at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/getWSDoc.php?id=2428 24 access to water can, for example, enable a woman to water a kitchen garden, improving her family's food security and providing an opportunity to earn money by selling the surplus. Women's involvement in decision-making about water resources and in WaSH programmes is critical to their empowerment, but it is important that they are not overburdened with additional unpaid work on top of their existing responsibilities. In general, WaSH is essential for the social and economic development of women, contributing towards gender equality and the realization of their rights.

Way forward Ÿ There is a need to develop and promote both physical and approach based models to deliver WaSH services, especially for most vulnerable communities of Pakistan. Ÿ Promote sustainable technological assistance to the government to make their programmes inclusive and more sustainable and strengthen institu- tional capabilities for delivering inclusive WaSH services effectively and sustainably. Ÿ Launch campaigns with collaborative efforts on Hygiene behaviors, engaging all relevant stakeholders, culminating into a moment for change in social norms on WaSH behaviors. Ÿ Promote wider understanding between stakeholders, highlighting roles and responsibilities that pave the way towards sectoral reforms and more effective delivery, targeting the poor and marginalized. Ÿ Collaboration with counterparts from other social sectors, particularly education, health, nutrition and gender, to demonstrate the benets of joint working approaches and collaboration. Ÿ Undertake joint sectoral reviews and provide evidence and sector blockages and opportunities for better coordina- tion. Support sector coordination to encourage partners to undertake joint planning, review, learning and adoption. Ÿ High impact advocacy champions at senior levels of government and political leadership supported by evidence based knowledge materials and technical backstopping towards WaSH rights legislation and for development, as well as scal prioritization. © UNDP Pakistan

25 Interview

say that again

“...We need to educate the users and public, the farmers, and other consumers on what are better ways to utilize this limited resource.”

Shams-ul-Mulk Former Chairman Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)

Is there sufficient awareness, especially among key policy However, the major problem that continues to exist is the extreme makers, regarding the impending water crisis in Pakistan and its variability of river flows season-wise; 84 percent of flows in summer repercussions on the social and economic landscape? What and only 16 percent in winter. With a Kharif to Rabi ratio of 2 to 1, our should be done to enhance awareness and increase commit- seasonal needs are about 66 percent in summer and 34 percent in ment of policy makers in this important issue? winter, showing surpluses of 18 percent in summer and shortages of 18 percent in winter. The surpluses of summer create floods, Our key policy makers have acted like absentee landlords of water in inflicting major damages to the infrastructure in the Indus Plains, Pakistan. We need to educate the users and public, the farmers, and and shortages in water disable Rabi crops from its optional yields. other consumers on what are better ways to utilize this limited Owing to the lack of a strong government, this disability continues to resource. Because of this absentee landlordism, water has become hurt Pakistan and its economy. the property of the landlords and the poor users simply do not get their share. A range of other factors, including water theft, further exacerbates these issues. The worst example of it is in Sindh. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the 'Pushtoon' society is still a lot more egalitarian, so the problem is not as pronounced, but it still exists. In general, the landlords would not want the poor to become economi- cally self-sufficient, as that would enable them to challenge the landlords. So, this water issue is also very political in nature.

Is water management a priority of Pakistan's overall policy framework? What policies need to be adopted to ensure sustainable use of water resources?

Pakistan's water policy does not exist. The Minister of Water and Power wanted to frame it, and we discussed the possibility. In 2001, a committee was formed which was headed by me and a draft was framed at the expressed request of the Ministry of Water and Power. It was a very comprehensive document. It is most unfortunate that Pakistan's cabinet has simply never allocated the time for its review and approval.

What are the coordination issues within provinces and amongst sectors of the economy with regards to the distribution of water? What should be done to improve water resource management in the long-term?

It was in a marathon meeting of the four Chief Ministers of Pakistan that a joint memorandum of Water Rights of the provinces was agreed. A document, called “Apportionment of the Waters of Indus River System between the provinces of Pakistan” was signed on 16th March, 1991. The apportionment accord was agreed to be imple- mented by an institution named as Indus River System Authority (IRSA). IRSA was established through an Act of the Parliament in 1991. It has successfully carried its functions to the satisfaction of all provinces.

26 Interview

say that again

“...Access to information and knowledge networking is a key factor in effective water resources management.”

Muhammad Tahir Anwar Director General Federal Water Management Cell Ministry of National Food Security and Research

Is there sufficient awareness, especially among key policy What are the coordination issues within provinces and amongst makers, regarding the impending water crisis in Pakistan and its sectors of the economy with regards to the distribution of repercussions on the social and economic landscape? What water? What should be done to improve water resource should be done to enhance awareness and increase commit- management in the long-term? ment of policy makers in this important issue? There hardly appears any coordination with regards to the distribu- There is not sufficient awareness among key policy makers, at federal tion of scarce water resources, further threatened due to climate as well as provincial level, regarding the impending water crises in change. Under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord, IRSA has Pakistan, which is posing a threat to the country's security, stability been playing an effective role for the distribution of irrigation water and environmental sustainability. Policy and decision makers face to the provinces. However, it lacks the capacity to address water considerable barriers in access to accurate and crucial water issues arising as a result of the changing climate. In order to improve resources information. Access to information and knowledge water resources management in the long-term, it is imperative to networking is a key factor in effective water resources management. bring together all relevant sectors of the economy on a common There is a need to develop and launch a water information portal platform and for an integrated policy framework to be developed. that can provide accurate information on water resources in a format Institutional framework at the federal and provincial levels for easily comprehendible by policy makers. Apart from this, organizing integrated management of water resources needs to be strength- seminars for enhancing awareness and enabling an understanding ened, along with proper identification of the roles of federal and of water issues among key policy makers and all other relevant provincial stakeholders in order to enhance understanding and stakeholders, is also an integral component. develop sustainable water resources management in the long-term.

Is water management a priority of Pakistan's overall policy framework? What policies need to be adopted to ensure sustainable use of water resources?

Water management has not been given due priority in Pakistan's overall policy framework. Much emphasis has perpetually been placed on the management of river basin waters, whilst manage- ment of groundwater and rainwater/hill torrents have not been given due consideration. As river water supplies become erratic owing to low storage capacity and climate change, there has been significant increase in the use of groundwater for irrigation purposes resulting in a negative groundwater budget on an overall basis. Further, 18 MAF worth of rainwater/hill torrent potential has not been realized in the overall policy framework. It is therefore imperative that a comprehensive policy framework (inclusive of river basin, groundwater and rainwater/hill torrents) be developed and adopted to ensure sustainable use of scarce water resources. It is also imperative that the National Water Policy be finalized and approved at the earliest.

27 Interview

say that again

“...A mass awareness campaign needs to be launched on the importance of water, its impacts on all sectors of economy and promoting efficient water management practices...”

Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Chairman Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR)

Is there sufficient awareness, especially among key policy Commission (NWC) that will not only ensure implementation of the makers, regarding the impending water crisis in Pakistan and its water policy but will also coordinate with the provinces. A mass repercussions on the social and economic landscape? What awareness campaign needs to be launched on the importance of should be done to enhance awareness and increase commit- water, its impacts on all sectors of economy and promoting efficient ment of policy makers in this important issue? water management practices and technologies to all stakeholders - right from the policy makers to the end users. According to all indicators, Pakistan is fast becoming a water-scarce country. However, there is little awareness of this looming disaster amongst stakeholders, particularly policy makers. They cannot foresee the real picture of its repercussions on social and economic fronts. The following actions may help in awareness raising of policy makers:

Ÿ Engaging them through scientific-based evidence so that the seriousness of the situation is realized; Ÿ Large scale mass awareness delineating the role of each sector of the economy; and, Ÿ Synthesizing the latest methods of diffusion and adoption and, scaling up of promising water management practices.

Is water management a priority of Pakistan's overall policy framework? What policies need to be adopted to ensure sustainable use of water resources?

Water management is a part of Pakistan Vision 2025 which envisages improving the efficiency of usage in agriculture by 20 percent. Similarly, it is also part of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda for which Pakistan is a signatory. Water should be managed at all levels including domestic, industrial and agricultural. The Draft National Water Policy should be approved which provides policy guidelines for sustainable management of water resources. Moreover, provinces should develop their own strategies within the framework of the National Water Policy.

What are the coordination issues within provinces and amongst sectors of the economy with regards to the distribution of water? What should be done to improve water resource management in the long-term?

The Pakistan Water Apportionment Accord 1991 provides a framework regarding the distribution of water among provinces, with the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) conducting the job reasonably well. However, there is not a single institution at the federal level that can coordinate with the provinces on water-related issues and the different sectors of the economy. Nevertheless, the Draft National Water Policy proposes to establish a National Water

28 Interview

say that again

“...the obstacle is not that the system is not massive enough, in fact, the obstacle is that it has not been effectively utilized.”

Sadia Tariq Usmani Head - Environment division Youth Affairs Committee, DMC Central (Karachi) Secretary of Environment, Youth Parliament-Sindh Cabinet (2016-17)

Is there sufficient awareness especially among key policy Is water management a priority of Pakistan's overall policy makers regarding the impending water crisis in Pakistan and its framework? What policies need to be adopted to ensure repercussions on social and economic landscape? What should sustainable use of water resources? be done to further enhance the awareness and increase commitment of policy makers to this important issue? Had water management been a priority, then water scarcity would not have been a present challenge for the country. We should look I believe that policy makers are well aware of the impending water towards how developed countries have tackled the issue and work crisis and its repercussions, however, this is not an area of focus as far towards adopting similar strategies locally. as policy is concerned. Serious thought needs to be invested as to how in the face of diminishing resources, Pakistan can develop What are the coordination issues within provinces and amongst sufficient storage capacities for the future. In 1950, Pakistan had sectors of the economy with regards to the distribution of around 5,000 m per capita per year of freshwater resources, which water? What should be done to improve water resource shrunk to 1,500 m by 2012. To put it in perspective, a country is management for the sustainable use of water? declared water scarce when this figure stands at around 1000 m . The major coordination issue is the inability of policy makers and One projected methodology is to introduce water usage fees, other stakeholders to assemble on a single platform and seriously particularly for those that use irrigation to water their crops. As of assess the issue. Apart from this, the building of more dams and 2005, the World Bank estimated that the water usage fee for Punjabi reservoirs is also crucial in terms of saving and storing water. Pakistan farmers should be around 1,800 PKR per hectare. The real rate was is rapidly moving towards water scarcity and if this issue is left close to around 150 PKR per hectare. Implementing a proper pricing unaddressed, it will soon lead to water wars. system will not only raise revenue for the maintenance and repair of irrigation infrastructure, but will also compel large landowners to think twice before wasting water. This market oriented system can also work in urban areas. Studies have shown that the cost of a modern municipal water system is less than the economic costs of a poor water system.

The real solution lies in changing the mindset and strategy. Whilst focus in the past has always been on building infrastructure to combat water shortages, the real problem lies in the actual shortage itself. Therefore, focus should be placed on including the topic in curriculums taught throughout the country in order to enhance awareness, and also to increase conservation of water resources itself. Focus on recycling existing water and reusing it is the need of the hour. In a country that houses one of the most important contiguous irrigation systems in the world, the obstacle is not that the system is not massive enough, in fact, the obstacle is that it has not been effectively utilized.

1 Introduction. Running on Empty: Pakistan's Water Crisis. Ed. Michael Kugelman and Robert M. Hathaway. Washington, D.C: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2009. 5-27. Web. 16 May 2014 2 World Bank. 2005. Pakistan - Country water resources assistance strategy: water economy running dry. Washington, DC: World Bank. 3 Altaf, Samia. "Public Health, Clean Water, and Pakistan: Why We Are Not There Yet." Running on Empty: Pakistan's Water Crisis. Ed. Michael Kugelman and Robert M. Hathaway. Washington, D.C: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2009. 169-75. Print. 29 Interview

say that again

“...The water must be distributed judiciously not only at the provincial level, but also at the main canal, branch canal, distributary canal, as well as at the minor level.”

Prof. Dr. Abdul Latif Qureshi Professor U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W) Mehran University of Engineering and Technology

Is there sufficient awareness, especially among key policy makers, regarding the impending water crisis in Pakistan and its repercussions on the social and economic landscape? What should be done to enhance awareness and increase commit- ment of policy makers in this important issue?

There is no issue of awareness among policy makers regarding the upcoming water scarcity, the only restrictions are of political will and priorities. There is a dire need for coordination amongst relevant legislators dealing with Water and Power, Environment, Climate change and Economic affairs, to mobilize and advocate the cause in assemblies, as well as, motivate other legislators to follow suit as well. Mass awareness among people should be increased to exert pressure on elected representatives. Research and development institutes and academia should also be streamlined and urged to take up the matter on priority basis.

Is water management a priority of Pakistan's overall policy framework? What policies need to be adopted to ensure sustainable use of water resources?

No concrete efforts are visible to understand water management as a priority in Pakistan.

What are the coordination issues within provinces and amongst sectors of the economy with regards to the distribution of water? What should be done to improve water resource management in the long-term?

There are very serious concerns and disputes amongst provinces, especially on water regulation and distribution. The upper riparian holds all head works for water control, which creates a sense of disloyalty and mistrust between the provinces. There is a serious need to develop trust in provinces in the lower Indus region. The water must be distributed judiciously not only at the provincial level, but also at the main canal, branch canal, distributary canal, as well as at the minor level.

30 © UNDP Pakistan Youth Voices

Lack of accountability and rampant corruption signicantly impacts upon the distribution of water. Reducing the inuence of politics in water governance is paramount in achieving solutions. Moreover, the introduction of learning programs in rural areas and research is mandatory in different application methods. Farhan Laghari

Student Majors in Water Studies

The inversely proportional relationship of supply verses demand is likely to be the root for many problems that will erupt in the future. While the world progresses in technological innovations, Pakistan seems to be regressing. Focus on better engineering technologies that offer automated solutions, as well as better early warning systems are steps for mitigation that require more planning and research. Fatima Fazal

Student Majors in Water Studies

Unskilled management for agricultural awareness programs, ineffective management to transfer farmers' knowledge for agricultural practices and unnecessary wastage of water are major issues. Effective and optimum utilization of water, increased awareness programs and proper record keeping regarding water applications and utilization, are required to curb water issues in Shahzad Hussain Dahri Pakistan.

Student Majors in Water Studies

32 Youth Voices

Siltation in canals and water losses due to the unequal leveling of water courses results in an almost 60 percent loss of water. New engineering tactics and techniques should be applied to decrease seepage losses and proper law and order procedures must be used to control these problems. Ainulibad Shah

Student Majors in Water Studies

How can you talk about issues when the basic understanding is not even there? Awareness is an ever building issue-something as small as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can help save so many gallons of water. Sustainable long term planning is key. Currently, there is not much emphasis placed on integrating better water policies and practices. It is the thinking at the top levels that needs to change in order to Gulnaz Aslam create a domino effect of sorts.

Student Majors in Water Studies

Illegal supply of water and water hydrants are a major issue of utility. There is need for small dams to enhance capacity for storage. Moreover, water salinity is a major problem for agriculture as well as drinking thereby impacting health. Filter plants and drop and sparkler systems should be developed. Shahid Latif Bhutto

Student Majors in Water Studies

33 DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE PAKISTAN