Water is one of the most important natural resources. It covers one-third of the area of the earth. Unfortunately, due to lack of proper measures for securing and preserving natural resources, our country is suffering from water scarcity. According to the United Nations, nearly 1.8 billion people will live in the region of “absolute water scarcity” by the end of 2025. Moreover, according to the World Economic Report, the biggest threat to Pakistan is the water crisis, followed by unmanageable inflation, terrorist attacks, failure of urban planning and that captious infrastructure.
On the other side, a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has ranked Pakistan third among the countries facing acute water shortage. Furthermore, Pakistan Council Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), has warned that Pakistan may run out of water by 2025. The shortfall will be devasting for the country having an agriculture-based economy.
The water crisis in Pakistan is more due to wastage of water, rapid population growth, deteriorating situation of dams, an outdated canal system, expensive and improper ways of irrigation. Therefore, amidst all these issues, there is a dire need for possible solutions to overcome this crisis. The federal and provincial government must take proper policies in water to save the shortage of water, construction of new small dams, plantation of trees, responsible use of household water and awareness campaigns.
BILAWAL ALI LAKHO,
Shikarpur, June 1.
