Muhammad Saleem

Experts have called for urgent measures to tackle severe water scarcity, which is fueled by climate change effects, rapid population growth and inefficient water management. Dr Ahmed, a faculty member at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, told WealthPK that for years, agricultural scientists and water management experts have warned that Pakistan would face a severe water crisis in future and that policymakers need to take the bull by the horns to avoid this predicament. “But our rulers have turned a blind eye and now the situation has started to take its toll on the agriculture sector due to climate change,” he said. “We are now in a tight spot. We are even unable to harvest plenty of rainwater, which is wreaking havoc on agricultural lands and people.” He said erratic rainfall patterns and glacial melting were aggravating the issue, reducing per capita water availability. He said the government statistics showed that unbridled population growth was also enhancing water demand.

However, he wondered that nothing was being done to stem the tide. Ahmed noted that farmers seemed not ready to adopt modern agricultural practices and water management methods. “Without involving farmers, neither experts nor policymakers will be able to tackle the water crisis efficiently.” He urged the policymakers to get the private sector to invest in water-saving technologies. “This will help with the development of multiple water-saving methods at the grassroots level,” he said, adding that both short and long-term policies in that regard were crucial. Similarly, he asked the government to encourage farmers to adopt sustainable practices. Muhammad Ahtisham, a progressive farmer, told WealthPK that the water availability was not satisfactory and was going from bad to worse. He said farmers at the tail-end were unable to irrigate their lands. He said a number of squabbles took place in his native area –Tandlianwala – over water sharing.

Ahtisham said the policymakers and government officials were well aware of the situation, but they had done nothing to resolve it. He said politicians lured farmers to elect them to get their water availability issues resolved, but they did nothing significant to ensure water for the growers. The farmer said it's worrisome that per capita water availability was declining amid increasing water demand from agriculture, industry and domestic use. “These are major challenges that we must tackle head-on. Owing to climate change, Pakistan faces extreme weather events like floods and droughts. This scenario will exacerbate the water scarcity, leaving no option for farmers but to change tack.” He said despite throwing money at the problem and establishing dedicated departments, Pakistan had failed to control population growth.

“Similarly, unsustainable water use practices are also unchecked in different parts of the country, fueling the crisis. Without resolving these interconnected challenges, we cannot move forward,” he said. Dr Hussain, an agricultural economist, said farmers were in a bind due to multiple factors like waterlogging, salinity and inefficient irrigation practices. He said climate change was rapidly shifting the cultivation patterns, but farmers were not up to the speed. “Our farmers are in the dark about modern water management and irrigation practices. They are still employing the traditional irrigation methods despite severe water crisis. We must launch campaigns to teach farmers on how to preserve water as lack of awareness about water conservation is making matters worse,” he stressed.

The agricultural economist called for building more dams.

Credit: INP-WealthPk