Pakistan's Water Crisis Deepens: PM Sharif Warns of National Security Threat

The drivers of this crisis are well understood. Climate change is altering glacial patterns, disrupting river flows and increasing uncertainty around water availability.

At the same time, Pakistan's storage capacity remains severely limited, leaving the country vulnerable to both shortages and floods. The government's announcement that work is under way on 18 dams is therefore a necessary step, but one that comes after years of delay in expanding critical infrastructure, the article observes.

The prime minister's reference to reducing losses by 33 per cent through improvements in the canal system highlights a longstanding inefficiency in Pakistan's irrigation network. A significant portion of available water never reaches its intended destination due to seepage, outdated infrastructure, and poor management. Addressing this inefficiency offers one of the quickest gains in improving water availability without requiring new sources.

Disputes over water allocation between provinces in Pakistan have persisted for decades, often exacerbated by the absence of reliable, real-time data. A functioning monitoring system could help build trust within the federation, provided it is implemented consistently and insulated from political interference, the article further states.

Pakistan has been slow to transition from recognition to execution. Water policy has existed in various forms for years, but implementation has lagged behind ambition. The current set of reforms must, therefore, be judged not by their announcement but by their delivery over time.

There is also a broader dimension to the crisis that extends beyond infrastructure. Water use in Pakistan remains inefficient at nearly every level. Agriculture, which consumes the majority of available resources, continues to rely heavily on outdated irrigation methods.

The article also refers to India's move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty as constituting a direct threat to Pakistan's water security. Pakistan's reliance on transboundary river systems makes any upstream manipulation, whether through treaty reinterpretation or unilateral action, a matter of national survival, the article observes.

Pakistan's water crisis has been discussed for decades. The difference today is that the margin for inaction has narrowed considerably. Addressing the challenge will require not only investment in infrastructure but also a shift in how water is valued and managed across the economy. Without that shift, warnings will continue to be issued while the underlying problem deepens, the article added.

- IANS