To many Pakistani people, the lack of access to clean water is normal. Crowding government or water board offices to plead for hygienic water is normal. In Pakistan, water shortage has become widespread. In 2021, for example, the country’s per capita annual water availability was only 1017 cubic meters, an amount insufficient to sustain Pakistan’s growing population.
Pakistan’s water insecurity is primarily caused by rapid population growth and climate change.
The UN expects that the Pakistani population of 250 million will grow to 403 million by 2050. Pakistan’s expanding population puts severe pressure on the water supply. Although total water use in Pakistan increased by around 0.7% per year between 1977 and 2017, the water supply remained at the same level.
Climate change also plays a role in Pakistan’s water crisis. Pakistan has been experiencing long periods of floods and droughts that leave the country with a deficiency in water resources. Most notably, the 1998-2004 drought — the worst in Pakistan’s history — affected 3.3 million people, caused hundreds of thousands of houses to be damaged, and left thousands homeless.
The Indus River Basin, Pakistan’s primary source of water, is highly sensitive to climate change because of its dependency on snowmelt and precipitation. The glaciers in the Indus River Basin are already melting at a fast rate. As temperatures continue to rise, the snow and ice in the Indus River Basin will melt faster and faster, leaving it vulnerable to heavy flooding, landslides, and dam bursts.
Water insecurity, beyond affecting people’s jobs and livelihoods, kills. A bacterial analysis of the water supply in Faisalabad, the third-largest city in Pakistan, revealed that 50% of the water was contaminated with coliforms and E.coli bacteria, as well as large amounts of SO4 and total dissolved solids. Overall, 50% of the water supply was found to be unsafe. Vulnerable children and families are drinking this water. And while they might know it is unsafe, what other choice do they have?
Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan and one that depends on subsurface and surface water for its drinking water, was investigated to have E.coli, total dissolved solids and other contaminants in its water resources. The team of researchers discovered that, among the 45 samples they took of Karachi’s water supply, 80% of them were unsafe drinking water.
What does this mean for Pakistan?
It means that many families and children in Pakistan, because they have no choice other than to use the contaminated water, are left at risk of developing severe illnesses and diseases.
Annually, there are about 100 million diarrheal cases and 2.5 million deaths that occur from the disease, which people develop from drinking contaminated water. Nearly 670,000 children every day miss school because of water-borne illnesses and the lack of a proper water sanitation system.
What is more, the deficiency of adequately safe water supplies is directly associated with food insecurity in the country. In Pakistan, food insecurity is a growing problem, worsening even more in the last few years. According to the World Food Programme, around 43% of the nation’s population is food insecure, a number that is projected to grow in the coming years.
The impact of water scarcity on food resources is severe. A study found that a deficiency in clean water can increase the competition for water use between different sectors in Pakistan, which means there will be less water for agricultural use, leading to a reduction in food production.
By next year, experts assume that the food resources need to expand by 40% to meet the needs of the growing population in Pakistan. If the food supplies do not grow by that amount, the people of Pakistan could be left in a state of hunger, famine, misery, poverty, disease, and helplessness.
Additionally, the lack of access to safe drinking water in Pakistan is a threat to the stability of the nation’s economy.
Today, around 97% of Pakistan’s freshwater is used for agriculture, a sector that contributes to 23% of the country’s GDP. If the agriculture sector starts to dwindle because of the lack of safe water, the nation’s economy could be in danger. It could inflate prices on food, for example.
Forty-two percent of Pakistan’s population is involved in the agriculture sector. These people depend on agriculture and, consequently, a sufficient water supply, for their livelihood. If they are not able to get enough water, they will not be able to water their fields and grow their crops, making them lose a large part of their income.
If Pakistan improved its citizens’ access to an adequate quantity and quality of water, they could lessen 30 to 36% of their economic losses. Yet, because they do not, they are putting a large sector of their economy at risk. Without reform, the dwindling water supply will constrain agricultural production and put a major strain on the economy.
To help alleviate this crisis, policymakers should rethink wastewater treatment methods. Currently, Pakistan only treats 1% of its collected wastewater, making it one of the countries with the lowest wastewater treatment rates in the world. This is because most cities and municipalities do not have an established biological treatment method to treat wastewater, and many treatment facilities are not functional. To address this issue, Pakistan can consider shifting from the traditional wastewater treatment plants to constructed wetlands, a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative.
Another recommendation would be to better manage where and how the water is being used. In the agriculture sector, for instance, Pakistani policymakers should consider developing a policy that reduces the number of crops that require a large amount of water, namely cash crops like sugar and cotton. Specifically, the government could charge more for water that is used for non-essentials crops. More farmers should also consider changing their agricultural methods – changing from flood irrigation to something less water intensive, such as drip irrigation.
The deficiency of water supplies in Pakistan is not only a governance problem but also a people issue that puts millions of vulnerable lives at risk. Water security is not just a matter of misuse and economic instability. It is a problem that, if left unsolved, can take the lives of millions.
In Pakistan, finding solutions to solve the issue of clean drinking water scarcity is a must. If the Pakistani government officials continue to wait, it might become too late to solve this crisis.
