ISLAMABAD:
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday outlined a comprehensive, multi-pronged national strategy to address Pakistan’s growing water crisis, underscoring the importance of a unified, science-based approach to ensure long-term water security.
Addressing the ‘National Water Security Consultation Roundtable’ under the ‘Uraan Pakistan’ initiative, the minister said the country’s water challenge is no longer limited to scarcity but also stems from persistent mismanagement.
“Sometimes we face extreme shortages and other times destructive flooding, therefore water management is as critical as water availability,” he said. Urging to go beyond “traditional declarations”, he highlighted the need for a national consensus on water conservation and a cohesive water security policy.
“This challenge cannot be resolved in silos, whether between the federation and provinces, sectors or regions. It has now become a matter of national security,” he added, warning that external pressures, including attempts to use water as a strategic tool, had further increased vulnerabilities.
Iqbal stressed that Pakistan’s response must be “national, united, scientific and future-proof”, identifying the key pillars of a multi-dimensional strategy. Highlighting limited storage capacity as a major concern, he noted that Pakistan could store water for only about 90 days, far below global benchmarks.
He called for a national agreement to expand water reservoirs through large, medium and small dams, recharge and delayed action dams, flood water reservoirs, hill torrent management and urban rainwater harvesting. “New water reserves must be seen as the basis of national survival, not as a political debate,” he said.
Regarding water use efficiency, the minister noted that agriculture consumed most of the water but with low productivity due to outdated irrigation practices. He proposed a national water efficiency and conservation mission, including modernization of irrigation systems, laser land leveling, drip and sprinkler technologies, digital irrigation, wastewater recycling and transparent water accounting.
“We must adopt the principle of more value per drop,” he said, linking water use reforms to cropping patterns, subsidies and pricing policies. The minister also highlighted the uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater, calling it a “silent lifeline” under threat.
It called for a national groundwater governance framework covering aquifer mapping, recharge systems, regulation of abstraction, solar tubewell management and community conservation. “Falling water tables and rising pollution are creating a silent storm under our feet,” he warned.
Underlining the role of technology, Iqbal highlighted the need to transition towards data-driven water management. It proposed real-time telemetry, satellite monitoring, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, smart metering, flood modeling and early warning systems.
“Pakistan needs a reliable, real-time national water information system to guide decisions on river flows, groundwater levels, reservoirs and climate risks,” he said. He highlighted climate resilience as a key pillar and called for better preparedness against droughts, melting glaciers and hill torrents, along with better drainage systems.
