Scarcity of water in Gwadar
Scarcity of water in Gwadar
The country crossed the “water stress line” in 1990 and the “water scarcity line” in 2005. If the situation persists, Pakistan could run out of water by 2025, experts say.
According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund, Pakistan ranks third in the world among countries facing acute water shortages. “No person in Pakistan whether from the north with its more than 5, 000 glaciers or from the south with its “hyper deserts” will be immune to this scarcity,” said Neil Buhne, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Pakistan. Unfortunately, we ourselves have been trapped in this grave crisis, which can be attributed to a number of factors.
First, Pakistan has the world’s fourth-highest rate of water use. No country’s economy is more water-intensive than that of Pakistan.
However, water shortage is affecting its economy and biodiversity. Only about two million hectares of land are being cultivated due to water shortage, and in many areas, people face water problems in everyday life. Low rainfall in Balochistan’s far-flung areas has also led to people drinking unsafe water. Some of the affected areas are Awaran, Gwadar, and Quetta. The main cause behind water scarcity is the lack of dams in the province.
Gwadar is often touted as the key to the future of the country. Unfortunately, the city residents also face many problems due to water scarcity because one tanker of water costs Rs15,000, and the poor cannot afford to buy clean drinking water.
I urge the Balochistan government to provide access to clean drinking water to address the water scarcity issue.