ISLAMABAD: A World Bank official has warned that there will be conflict over every drop of water in Pakistan if measures to improve water distribution and extraction are not implemented.
This warning was issued by Basharat Ahmed Saeed, Senior Water Specialist at the World Bank Group, during a seminar on water security in Pakistan organised by PIDE.
He stated that given the current rate of groundwater consumption in agriculture, Pakistan is expected to face groundwater depletion by 2030 and surface water depletion by 2037. “We have a lot of water, which is why the situation has not yet become as dire as it should be due to excessive usage,” he added.
World Bank approves $240m for Karachi’s water & sanitation project
Saeed warned that if the situation is not addressed, any additional water extraction will negatively impact either industry or urban areas, leading to conflicts over water. He further explained that by 2030, if an agriculturalist or an industry seeks to extract more water, they will essentially be taking water that belongs to other citizens.
“We are heading toward a situation where there will be a fight over every drop of water. While we haven’t reached that point yet, despite our poor management, if there is no change, riots are likely. We are already seeing signs of this situation in Sindh,” he continued.
Some seminar participants raised concerns about water-related issues, including the need for more water storage facilities (even small ones), the misuse of water, and the lack of a water market.
According to Saeed’s presentation, there is no significant change in the average annual water availability. However, there has been an increase in variability, particularly in monsoon timing and the nature of winter precipitation.
He noted that the greatest impact is likely to come from temperature-driven demand increases, which could rise by up to 58%. Natural water losses are also expected to increase, particularly in the lower Indus Basin. He highlighted that 10% of current irrigation withdrawals (12 BCM) will need to be reallocated in the next three decades to meet non-agricultural demands.
Moreover, the country can expect more extreme floods and droughts in the coming years, with rising sea levels and coastal storms posing additional challenges for Sindh and Balochistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.