Climate expert urges Pakistan to treat water quality as national emergency

ISLAMABAD: Climate expert warned that Pakistan needs to treat water quality as a national emergency as pollution, salinity and untreated sewage continue to poison the country’s rivers and irrigation system.

Talking to media at national press club on Saturday, Khan Faraz a climate expert warned that the crisis is not merely environmental but also a growing public health disaster. According to WWF-Pakistan, poor water quality contributes to 30 percent of diseases and 40 percent of deaths in the country.

Without immediate action Pakistan risks losing one of its most vital natural resources, ensuring clean and safe water must become a national priority to protect public health, agriculture and the environment for future generations, he added.

Faraz further added that Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has reportedly stated that deteriorating water quality due to pollution, salinity, odour, etc. in the Indus Basin Irrigation System. In 2022, WWF-Pakistan said that 30 percent of all diseases and 40 percent of all deaths in Pakistan are due to poor water quality. According to Pakistan’s National Drinking Water Policy of 2009, the burden of disease related to water, sanitation and hygiene costs the country about USD1.1 billion each year.

The IRSA has reminded the provinces and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PEPA) that under the Indus River System Act, 1992, it is mandated to regulate and distribute the surface water resources of the Indus River System among the provinces.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026