Vanishing water |
PLUMMETING stocks of freshwater have emerged as a global challenge. A recently released World Bank report, Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future, has revealed that global freshwater reserves have declined by three per cent of the average annual freshwater supply. The situation is grimmer in dry regions where the depletion is a staggering 10pc of annual replenishment. This imbalance of the freshwater cycle means appalling consequences.
The report puts the net annual loss of global freshwater at 324 billion cubic metres, which is sufficient to meet the annual needs of 280 million people. In the midst of this worrying decline in freshwater availability, water consumption is increasing, thus aggravating the disequilibrium. Between 2000 and 2019, water consumption increased by 25pc. One-third of this additional consumption occurred in dry regions. This growing demand of water is attributed to a swelling population and irresponsible consumption.
Globally, the agriculture sector accounts for 98pc of people’s use of water. The sector is a major source of wasteful water consumption thanks to inefficient farming practices, water-thirsty crops and an archaic infrastructure particularly in the dry regions. Pakistan has been bracketed with Algeria,........