Manifestos: planning for water security

For starters, felicitations to the drafters of the manifestos! After all, the sections covering water availability in the manifestos of the three mainstream parties are at least up to date. The documents offer recognition of Pakistan’s water scarcity challenge. Let’s take the solutions apart piecemeal and discuss the policies offered on their merits.

We start with the manifesto of the outgoing government. The party has incorporated a dedicated section to water shortage compared to 2013, when it only discussed water as an ancillary subject to health, food and energy security. The section begins by highlighting two major facts: that per capita water availability has dropped to 1,000 cubic meters per annum, and that agricultural sector consumes 90 percent of water.

Commendably, it then uses the above facts to touch upon a much-ignored concern: that despite being a water-stressed country, Pakistan is effectively exporting water by exporting agricultural commodities.

Sadly, that is where the good part ends. Rather than using this dilemma to set an agenda for transformation of water consumption patterns, it uses most of the space allocated bragging about its achievements during the last 5 years without putting them into context.

Yes, “several small dams have been built to increase water storage”, but by what percentage? “Investments made in 4 water projects in Sindh”, to what end? “Rupees 25 billion earmarked for Bhasha Dam” expediting construction by how many years? The reader is left guessing.

Move on to the targets set for water security, and the situation is much worse. The document makes highly generic promises such as “research shall be conducted to increase existing dams capacity”,

“feasibility study shall be conducted for new dams”. Notice, the party is not promising more capacity or new dams; it is promising more “research” and “feasibility study” over the next 5 years.

There is not much difference in agenda when it comes to PTI’s water policy. Except, that it is loud and clear in terms of the promises made. The policy commits a master water plan and national policy, although does not comment on whether there is anything wrong with the existing version announced by PML-N. Delve deeper, and it commits public private partnerships to achieve the goals set, again failing to highlight which areas would require a PPP model.

PTI further commits to expedite Bhasha Dam construction, again, with no set timeline. Smaller dams are also promised, but no details are shared for budget allocation, location, or number given. It further promises to “reduce share of non-revenue generating water, crackdown on over abstraction and commit to recharging our aquifer”. An interesting commitment no doubt, but more detail as to the how’s and why’s would be welcome.

Lastly, there is the federal party of the yore: the PPP. Its manifesto in 2013 had already highlighted that Pakistan has become increasingly water stressed. The document this election also stands out in that it dedicates space not only to the challenges of water shortage but also to those of clean drinking water.

To achieve this, it proposes Rs30 billion investments for water and sanitations problems in Sindh through installation of effluent treatment plants. Lamentably, the approach is provincial but deserves credit for its clarity.

PPP’s focus is also on efficiency and conservation. It lays out the steps to achieve these by “lining of canals, reduce water logging and salinity, and a strong emphasis on wastewater treatment. Interestingly, while PPP too recognizes the economic value of Bhasha Dam, it makes no firm commitments, promising only “to raise funds and finance this important project”. Cautious, yet realistic.

Understandably, there are some common features to all three manifestos such as expanding rainwater catchment’s capacity, rainwater harvesting, investment in ICT based solutions to improve weather forecast, public awareness campaigns to improve conservation, and achieving efficiency in irrigation systems using practices such as drip and sprinkler technologies. All much needed, but with little detail on how far each step would go to reduce the water shortage Pakistan is currently facing.

None of the manifestos promises anything transformative or path breaking. But then again, the resolution to Pakistan’s water crisis demands incremental steps. If the parties disagree so little on what needs to be done to tackle the situation, one hopes they will also be able to work together to resolve the crisis.