Pakistan drowning in mismanagement: ADB warns of worsening water insecurity

Islamabad [Pakistan] December 10 : Pakistan continues to face an alarming water crisis, with over 80 per cent of its population still deprived of access to clean drinking water, despite minor improvements in the last decade, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has cautioned in its latest Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) report, as reported by Dawn.

According to Dawn, the ADB, in what is considered Asia's most comprehensive study on water security, observed that Pakistan's water resources are under extreme stress due to unchecked population growth, climate change, and poor governance. The report cited widespread waterborne diseases caused by unsafe water and the overuse of groundwater in agriculture, which has triggered depletion and arsenic contamination. Erratic monsoon patterns, melting glaciers, and repeated floods such as the devastating 2022 deluge that displaced millions, have further strained the country's fragile water system.

Pakistan's per capita water availability has collapsed from 3,500 cubic metres in 1972 to just 1,100 cubic metres in 2020, placing it dangerously close to the threshold of absolute scarcity. The ADB noted that rural households continue to face unsafe water and poor sanitation despite some progress in hygiene through WASH programmes and pandemic-era health campaigns. The report found that while urban water security and disaster preparedness have shown modest gains, water governance remains riddled with inefficiency, institutional fragmentation, and underfunding. The ADB said Pakistan's water governance score rose from 50 per cent in 2017 to 63 per cent in 2023, reflecting improved policy frameworks, but stated that weak enforcement continues to derail real progress, as highlighted by Dawn.

The ADB stated that Pakistan's 2018 National Water Policy, though ambitious, has suffered from a serious gap between planning and implementation. The report urged the government to activate the long-delayed National Water Council, promote volumetric pricing, empower local authorities, and enforce stronger environmental protections. The ADB warned that unless Pakistan strengthens its institutions, ensures sustainable financing, and integrates climate resilience into its policies, "the gains in water security will remain uneven and fragile," as reported by Dawn.

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