ISLAMABAD – Pakistan can get more economic, social and environmentalbenefits from its water, subject to urgent reforms to improve water useefficiency and service delivery, says a new report from the World Bank.The report, Pakistan: Getting More from Water, states that while Pakistan,the sixth most populous country in the world, is well-endowed with water,water availability per person is comparatively low. Water wastage is highand agricultural yields are low compared to most countries.Although climate change and trans-boundary issues are a significanthindrance for Pakistan’s water sector, the greatest challenges andopportunities are internal, not external, to Pakistan.So, improving water-use efficiency and productivity, delivery of waterservices in cities and in irrigation, and addressing environmentalsustainability are the most pressing needs, according to this new analysis.“Water security in Pakistan is reaching a critical point that demandsurgent attention and reform,” said Illango Patchamuthu, World Bank CountryDirector for Pakistan. “Boosting irrigation productivity, while paying moreattention to the social and environmental aspects of water management, iscritical.This will require strong collaboration between federal and provincialgovernments and other stakeholders. The objective must be to strengthenwater governance and strategic water planning, to build resilience in theface of a changing climate and growing water demands.”While irrigation dominates water use in the country, the four major crops(rice, wheat, sugarcane and cotton) that use 80 percent of water contributeonly 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Poor water management isconservatively estimated to cost 4 percent of GDP or around $12 billion peryear.
These costs are dominated by inadequate domestic water supply andsanitation, but also include the costs of floods and droughts. Poorsanitation and a lack of wastewater treatment cause water-borne diseasesthat kill 40,000 children each year. Rivers, lakes and the extensive IndusDelta are severely degraded undermining important ecosystem services.“New dams can help improve water security but will not address the mostpressing water problems that Pakistan faces,” says William Young, author ofthe report. “Irrigation systems need modernizing; hydromet systems shouldbe expanded; and urban water infrastructure, especially for wastewater,requires major investment.
The National Water Policy provides a sound basis for reform, but provincialwater policies need much attention, and the underpinning legal framework isincomplete and needs strengthening.”Reaching upper-middle income status by 2047 is an ambitious goal forPakistan and will require significant change in the structure of theeconomy. However, water scarcity need not limit growth. Irrigation wateruse can increase to meet growing food demands if efficiency improvementsare made. Changes in diet with increasing wealth will have significantimpacts on commodity demands and crop choices.
Agricultural subsidies must be reformed to reflect real value of commodityexports and of water. Without reform, irrigation water use will limit wateraccess by industry and services sectors, constraining economic growth.
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Attention must be given to increasing flows below Kotri Barrage both forthe health of the delta and for Karachi water supply.
The report was prepared by the World Bank with external contributions fromlocal and international water experts, including the International WaterManagement Institute and the International Food Policy Research Institute.
