WATER CRISIS IN

PAKISTAN
AND
ITS
SOLUTIONS.
 WATER CRISIS:

• AS WE ALL KNOW THAT NOWADAYS OUR COUNTRY IS FACING

SEVERE SHORTAGE OF WATER.
• THERE ARE TWO MAIN REASONS OF WATER SHORTAGE:
• NATURAL REASON.
• MIS-MANAGEMENT.
 NATURAL REASONS:

• THIS IS DUE TO PROLONG DROUGHT WHICH IS BEYOND THE

CONTROL OF MAN.
• IN THE YEARS, WHEN THE RAINFALL IS NOT NORMAL OR BELOW
FROM THE NORMAL STATE, THE COUNTRY GENERALLY FACES WATER
SHORTAGE.
• FOR EXAMPLE: THE GOVERNMENT REDUCES 5% QUOTA OF WATER IN
SINDH AND PUNJAB DUE TO BAD RAINFALL WHICH REDUCES THE
WATER LEVEL OF MANGLA DAM.
 MIS-MANAGEMENT:

• THE AVERAGE ANNUAL FLOW OF INDUS AND ITS TRIBUTARIES IS

141.67 MAF, OF WHICH 97% IS USED IN IRRIGATION AND
REMAINING 3% IS USED IN DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES.
OUT OF 141.67 MAF, AROUND 106 MAF IS ANNUALLY DIVERTED INTO
ONE OF THE LARGEST AND IN-EFFICIENT IRRIGATION SYSTEM, THE
REMAINING 36 MAF GOES UNUSED IN SEA – A TOTAL LOSS. OUT OF
106 MAF DIVERTED INTO AN EXTENSIVE IRRIGATION SYSTEM, MORE
THAN 50% IS LOST DURING THE CHANGING AND THE FIELD
APPLICATION BEFORE IT REACHES THE CROP ROOT ZONE.
 UTILIZATION OF WATER:

• IRIIGATION.
• POWER GENERATION.
• DRINKING.
• INDUSTRY.
DAMS IN PAKISTAN DAMS IN INDIA

 150 3200

 DUE TO LACK OF DAMS PAKISTAN IS LOSING SWEET WATER

ANNUALLY WORTH 21 BILLION DOLLARS.
EFFECTS OF WATER CRISIS:
 IMPACT ON ECONOMY:

• LESS WATER MEANS LESS AGRICULTURAL YIELDS AND TO FULFILL THE

FOOD REQUIREMENTS OF THE NATION, WE WILL BE DEPENDENT ON
OTHER COUNTRIES.
• ORCHARDS OF PAKISTAN BRING HOME A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF
FOREIGN EXCHANGE, WHICH CAN BE AFFECTED DUE TO WATER
SHORTAGE.
• LESS AGRICULTURAL OUTPUTS WILL COMPEL PEOPLE TO HEAD
TOWARDS URBAN AREAS FOR JOBS, WHICH WILL INCREASE THE
UNEMPLOYMENT FURTHER.
 SANITATION ISSUES:

• WITHOUT ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER, THERE IS NO WAY TO CLEAN

FOOD, DISHES OR PEOPLE.
• IT CAN CAUSE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING DEPRESSION AND
ANXIETY.
 POVERTY:

• ALL IN ALL, PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH WATER SCARCITY ARE
OFTEN STUCK IN POVERTY AS WELL.
• THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THE RESOURCES THAT THEY
NEED, AND THEY JUST BARELY SURVIVING THROUGH THESE
DIFFICULTIES.
 LACK OF ACCESS TO DRINKING
WATER:
• THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE WATER
SCARCITY IS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET FRESH, CLEAN
DRINKING WATER.
 HUNGER:

• WATER SCARCITY CAN CAUSE STARVATION, IF THERE IS NO WATER

THAT CAN BE USED IN ORDER TO HELP WATER THE CROPS, THEN YOU
ARE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO HUNGRY.
• ANIMALS WILL ALSO DIE WHICH WILL RESULT IN LACK OF MEAT
ALSO.
 LACK OF EDUCATION:

• WATER SCARCITY MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO GET THE

EDUCATION THAT THEY NEED OR WHAT THEY DESERVE.
SOLUTIONS OF WATER CRISIS
 MAJOR DAMS IN PAKISTAN:

• TARBELA DAM.
• MANGLA DAM.
• MIRANI DAM.
• WARSAK DAM.
• SABAKZAI DAM
HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE CRISIS OF WATER:

• IN THIS CONSTRUCTION OF FOLLOWING DAMS SHOULD START

IMMIDIATELY:

I. KALABAGH DAM.
II. CHASHA DAM.
III. RAISED MANGLA DAM.
IV. DIAMER BHASHA DAM.
V. MOHMAND DAM.
 WATER MANAGEMENT:

• PEOPLE SHOULD BE EDUCATED TO CONSERVE WATER BY

COOPERATION.
• FURTHER MORE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE LAWS ON WATER
CONSERVATION, LIKE MANY WESTERN COUNTRIES.
• EFFORTS BE MADE TO CONVERT THE PRESENT ROTATION BASED
IRRIGATION SYSTEM TO DEMAND ORIENTED SYSTEM.
 CONCLUSION:

• THE PROBLEMS FACED BY THE WATER SECTOR IN THE COUNTRY ARE

MANY, ACUTE AND SERIOUS AND IT IS ALSO KNOWN THAT WE CAN
GENERATE ABOUT 83 MAF OF MORE WATER. THEREFORE, BUILDING OF
MORE RESERVOIRS AND AN EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ARE THE
NEEDS OF TIME. ALSO IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS
WILL ENABLE THE COUNTRY TO MEET THE CHALLENGES AND ACHIEVE THE
OBJECTIVES OF INTEGRATED, EFFICIENT ENVIRONMENTALLY AND
FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF
LIMITED WATER RESOURCES. AT THE SAME TIME IT WILL ENABLE US TO
UTILIZE EVERY DROP OF OUR WATER FOR OUR BRIGHT FUTURE.
THANK YOU