“WATER SECURITY”

Introduction:

Pakistan is currently on the verge of a severe water crisis. Pakistan could become dry in
the upcoming years estimated to be 2030, as the experts predict, due to the water
shortage that is gradually reaching to an alarming level. All the authorities which are
present in Pakistan are neglecting this issue knowing that it could lead to severe water
scarcity. According to the research, IMF has concluded that Pakistan is the third ranked
country in the world which has a water shortage problem. Reports by the UNDP and
PCRWR (Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources) also warn that till 2025
many Asian countries may face a serious water crisis including Pakistan. Till 2040 it is
expected that Pakistan will become that country which will be the most water stressed.
PCRWR predicts that Pakistan is going to face many droughts in future and this can be
very dangerous as it will affect our main economy which is Agriculture and will create a
disturbance in country. The main reasons that lead the country to this situation are
Pakistan being the water intensive country, climatic changes in the region, water politics
and the wastage of water.

Reasons:

A water intensive country: 

According to its water intensity rate, Pakistan is a country has the world's fourth highest
water using ratio. It ranks as the highest in the world according to the amount of water used
in cubic meters per unit of GDP. the IMF states, that Pakistan’s water availability is very near
to scarcity levels, as it came in at 1017 cubic meters, which was very close to the threshold
of 1000. However, this was not always the case, as Pakistan had 1500 cubic meters of water
available just a few years prior. The farming in Pakistan is facilitated through a canal system
of irrigation, and these are not properly maintained. This results in huge amounts of water
loss. There are many takes as to the reason of this, such as some suggesting it is due to
poor water management, and others suggesting it is because of the rapid population
increase, along with other reasons like politics and climate change. It’s a disturbing fact, that
Pakistan’s water supplies are drying up, and this could set the country up for disaster. The
authorities are clueless as to how they can prevent this crisis, and have no clear plans for
developments in this case. The people themselves are facing unrest, as majority of the
citizens have been receiving insufficient amounts of these resources that they need to
survive. If a solution doesn’t come soon, this unrest will only grow and become a much
bigger problem.

Climate change:

Climate change is a key factor leading to the scarcity of water, and can further worsen it if
the temperatures keep climbing. These temperature hikes become apparent, as numerous
cases of people succumbing to the intense heat are recorded. These all-time highs in
temperature lead to faster water evaporation, and the population levels aid in this trend. In
2015, it was recorded that around 1200 people died because of the heat waves in Pakistan,
and these are also coined as the main reason for the scarcity of water.
Water Politics:
Some years back Mangla and Tarbela the largest dams in the whole country came to a point
where they were at its dead level.We only have 2 major and big dams and we are at a point
that we can store water for only 30 days while India is such a giant and it is said that they
can store water for 190 days while US has been so good in storing water that they can store
their water for 900 days which can be counted as 2 and a half year approximately.In 1960
the IWT (Indus Water Treaty) and then they had given a right that they can use the water
from Indus,Chenab,Ravi,Jhelum and Sutlej but Indus,Chenab and Jhelum are under the
hand of India and it has the authority over these three rivers. In Sindh the all water in under
the Tankers and It is sold in money as it is the right of every citizen that they should get
Proper water but due to these people who have a large network and nobody asks them even
government of Sindh doesnot take any action and this water is sold to those people who
have a full right to use this water.

Muhammad Khalid Rana who is a spokesman of the Indus River said:

“Pakistan receives around 145 million acre feet of water every year but can only
save 13.7 million acre feet.Pakistan needs 40 million acre feet of water but 29
million acre feet of our flood water is wasted because we have few dams.New
Delhi raised this issue with international bodies,arguing that it should be allowed
to use the western rivers because Pakistan can't use them properly,".

Wastage of water:
Wastage of water is also a major reason why this all is being and issue and some where we
the citizens of these country are also the reason that we do not have the audacity that we
can save that thing which is the most essential for our living and this is why the problem
takes place just because the citizens are the ones who do not participate to solve these
issue or they themselves do not take a step for the issue for which they know that what
consequences we would have to face in future. As the water crisis becomes more and more
worse it’s our duty to save it and because of this the diplomats in the foreign country are the
one who have taken this issue to social media and raised this Slogan of “Save water”.

Solutions:
 
A water intensive country

With the reducing amount of water in Pakistan, there a few steps to take in order to fight this
issue. We can start with harvesting the rainwater where rainwater can be collected and
stored. This can further reduce the issue of stormwater runoff and the water can be reused.
Although Lahore administration has begun with this project, there should be more projects
initiated. 
An improved irrigation system and the construction of water reserves such as dams, canals,
etc. will further on help in the conservation of water. 
Another method to save water can be the sea water desalination plants. Desalination plants
are used to convert saline water into fresh drinking water and treats the contaminated water.
It would help areas near the coastline. There are these plants in Sindh and Balochistan with
the help of China and Turkey however, the existing plants should be managed properly.
Sufficient funds should be allotted for these plants so that there is access to fresh drinking
water. 
 
Climate change

To fight climate change issue, we should be making strategies to protect the ocean.
Continuing with excessive ep sea mining, and oil and gas drilling would only harm the
oceans which is why we should the oceans should be protected and the life inside it. apart
from oceans, forests should also be taken care of and not be cut down further reducing the
carbon levels. Proper laws should be enforced to take care of this. 
Pakistan can think of investing in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar which
would help a lot. Along with this, switching to sustainable transport such as electrical
vehicles would also benefit. 
However, to achieve this, there should be a long-term strategy to fight the issues and
that everything should not change with a new government as it takes time for a strategy to
work.

Water politics:

Pakistan needs to take a series of measures to address its water crisis.The whole
political authority and significant partners need to take responsibility for the challenge
of Pakistan's water emergency 000and announce their goal to address it. "Pakistan's
chiefs and partners, most importantly, need to take responsibility for the challenge
and pronounce their goal to handle it. Essentially accusing past state-run
administrations, or accusing India, for the emergency will not tackle anything", says
Michael Kugelman.There is a need to fill the vacuum between policies, reforms and
their implementation by devising a detailed implementation plan. “We do not have a
water crisis; we have a failure of governance with regard to water issues,” says Dr
Ishrat Hussain. The government needs to institute a major paradigm shift that
promotes the more judicious use of water. This will include water infrastructure
maintenance, water conservation technologies and awareness-raising. As we are
short on reservoirs and dams, the Government should initiate projects for more
large-scale dams. One such example is the Diamer-Bhasha Dam for which funds
were being collected. The Government must invest in large-scale dam projects so
we may be able to save much required floodwater

A water intensive country

The policymakers need to reevaluate water strategy by encouraging the reusing of

wastewater which is generally expected in Israel and Singapore in light of the rule
principle of private sector participation and optimal pricing of water. Israel, which was
water-lacking with 70% desert, has accomplished water security by treating and
reusing around 90% of its wastewater, principally for the water system, meeting
around one-fourth of the nation's interest in water. Essentially, Singapore - another
water-scant nation - is meeting 40% of its water interest from reused wastewater as
would be considered normal to arrive at 55% by 2060.t is critical to use innovation for
proficient water use, in any case, it is likewise urgent to pick the right advancement
so it conveys the ideal necessary arrangement. Ranchers can utilize accurate
watering as opposed to flooding their fields. Quite possibly the greatest development
in current agribusiness is the trickle water system. Additionally, water-escalated
harvests, for example, sugar sticks and rice might be supplanted with lower water
requesting crops. Another arrangement is making the metering of water necessary
for all clients from homegrown, farming, or modern units. When how much usage is
known, it empowers better preparation and the executives of the valuable asset. The
flow evaluating system offers minimal motivating force to customers to preserve
water. Estimating might be connected with pay levels alongside a few different
aspects. Expanding the expense of water utilization won't just push purchasers to
involve water all the more judicially yet additionally create adequate incomes for the
support of framework and water-rationing advances.The Government should make
use of technology based methods to prevent leakage in pipes and keep water usage
in check. Smart irrigation methods should be used to reduce water wastage
drastically, rather than wasting lots of groundwater through tube wells.We should
utilize other methods to trap rainwater and use it to recharge underground aquifers,
ensuring more water for the future.
 

Conclusion:
Pakistan must adopt more rational, less water-intensive methods. The nation has
experienced its fair share of supply-side policies, including the construction of dams
and large hydroelectric projects. Future changes should instead concentrate on
increasing water use efficiency, particularly in the agricultural sector, which continues
to be the biggest consumer of water while evading taxes (or lightly taxed at the
provincial level).

Reforming water pricing and cost recovery is necessary for addition to taxing the
agricultural sector. Due to the gross undervaluation of canal water and the low cost
of recovery (only 24% of the annual operating and maintenance cost is recovered),
the irrigation system has inefficient water consumption and is not financially viable.
Furthermore, the uniform price of important crops does not account for the variations
in water use rates. Therefore, updating tariffs to reflect their true value will not only
boost productivity but also bring in money for the upkeep of the water infrastructure,
thereby lowering system leaks. Similar to how insufficient urban water tariffs have
impacted drinking water quality, urban utilities need to be revised to encourage
conservation and effective water use.
In addition to financial incentives, infrastructure maintenance and innovation are
crucial for water management and conservation. Infrastructure upkeep, particularly in
the agricultural sector, can significantly reduce water loss (two-thirds of irrigation
water is lost due to system leaks), while crop zoning practices and cutting-edge
technologies like direct seeding drip irrigation should be promoted and highlighted
because they improve agriculture's water-use efficiency. Cities and towns should
implement cutting-edge techniques for water conservation, recycling, wastewater
management, water treatment, and rainwater gathering. Making new approaches
affordable and accessible, nevertheless, requires vigilance.

At the local level, there has to be more participation from various stakeholders in
water management and institutional capacity-building. Campaigns to raise
awareness and change behavior ought to be a crucial component of the
government's water policy. Women should be involved at every level since they have
been identified as significant change agents in conservation initiatives. Most
essential, equity must be discussed in the policy dialogue to ensure that new
initiatives do not harm the poor and disenfranchised. The business sector should
also be included in the discussion of public policies about water management. The
development of products by banks to fill the financing gaps for water project
development should be promoted.

Work distribution:

Taimoor Ahmed Adhami (20211-30325) Introduction

Maheen Irfan (20211-30208) A water intensive country, climate change

Maryam Mansoor (20211-30278): water politics, wastage of water

Kashaf khaleel (20211-30682) Solutions: A water intensive country, climate change

Zehra Abbas (20211-31142) Solutions: water politics, wastage of water

Sumair shaikh (20211-30382) Conclusion