• Upstream water control, infrastructure issues seen as threat to Indus system
• Rising demand, untreated waste pose challenge to urban water supply

ISLAMABAD: With more than 80 per cent of its population lacking access to clean drinking water, Pakistan faces water insecurity, both in terms of quality and quantity, despite minor improvement over the past 12 years amid implementation gaps.

“Pakistan faces growing pressure on its water resources due to rapid population growth, climate change, and poor water management,” said the Asian Development Bank in the fifth edition since 2007 of its flagship Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO).

The report, considered the Asian region’s most comprehensive assessment of water security, says that “more than 80pc of the population (in Pakistan) lacks access to safe drinking water, contributing to widespread waterborne diseases. Groundwater overuse in agriculture has led to depletion and arsenic contamination”.

In addition, climate-related hazards, such as erratic monsoons, glacial melt, and floods, add further strain, with the 2022 floods displacing millions. At the same time, upstream water control and infrastructure challenges continue to threaten the Indus River system, Pakistan’s lifeline, it said, recalling that per capita water availability had already dropped from 3,500 cubic metres (m³) in 1972 to just 1,100 m³ in 2020.

As if this were not enough, Pakistan’s rural household water security remains under pressure due to........

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