Water Crisis:

Pakistan needs dams. Why? To increase the water life of Pakistan, we need dams.
What is water life? The need and availability of water for agriculture, industry and domestic sector.
Factors that contribute to water life. Melting of the glaciers. Rainfall, ->Rivers, Dams. Underground
water. Desalination of sea water.

Standard for water life. World bank. 100 day threshold. Safe zone. Danger zone.
Pakistan has 32 days of water life, which is dangerously low. India has 122 days (200 days acc. to India
itself), according to WB. Chinese’s 350 days (WB), US: 900 days, Canada: 450 days. Egypt: 992 days
(WB).

How to increase water life?

Extreme water shortfall. Tarbela is at its dead-level. Mangla has 7 days to get to dead-level. 30% water
of Sindh has been cut. 24% of Punjab has been cut.

Melting of glaciers has been delayed because of the low temperatures. (67% water contribution)
Malakand div, areas adjacent to india, china has low temperatures. At 25deg+ melting speeds up.
Less rainfall in May. March, April had a lot of rainfall (33% contribution May-Aug). Water shortfall
has worsened.

Agriculture (crops) 20% shortfall, same for the domestic consumers in urban centers.
Dependency on underground water. 80% of domestic, 25% of agri, 40% of industry depends on UG
water. (PBS and Wapda)

Khi, an urban center needs 11m gallon/day. 7mil gallon s available only.
Islamabad has water scarcity as well. Thar/thal/Balochistan.

More dependence on UG water, resulting in water table level decline. For example, 5meter+ decline
annually. 1meter+ decline in Islamabad.

Solutions:
Water storage/buffering (Dams). Diamer Basha. 18+ days increase in water life (8.1MAF). Mohmand
dam +3days (1.3maf). Kalabagh dam +25days(10+MAF).

2018-2028, the decade of dams. Declared by govt/WAPDA.

River flow dams.

Store rainfall. In KP 450 sites are available, GB 15, Balochistan 50, AJK 10 sites.

To increase the agricultural productivity we need dams

History
Pak an agrarian eco
Agri revolution in 1960's
Two mega dams tarbela and Mangla
Warsak dam and the canal system in KP.

Last 3 decades, substantial decline in the agri sector. Mainly due to the decline in the availability of
water. Because of disturbed rainfall pattern, inc. untimely rainfalls. India’s construction dams.

For last two years, in mar-apr, rain had adverse effect on wheat crop.
Floods, 2010 floods.
Declining canal system:
Primary/Main canal: Paved/concrete, Problem: No repairs/maintenance, mud-filling
Secondary canal: mixed/mostly concrete and unpaved in some areas
Tertiary canal: unpaved mostly. Problem: Water seepage, leakage

Solution: Dams! Primary purpose of which is agriculture support. Dimaer basha can irrigate 1.3M acre
land, Mohmand 3 lac acre + land, dasu 3 lac + acre. All these dams are accompanied by canal systems
(KBD, chashma right bank canal 2, thal canal, both can 20% agri yield increase)

2.5million acre new land can be irrigated, if that happens.

Cheaper and cleaner electricity is a by-product.

Pakistan generates the most expensive electricity in Asia. Hydrocarbons 60%+ generation, IPPs

Circular debt/CPEC