ISLAMABAD:
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday presented a comprehensive and multi-pronged national strategy to address Pakistan’s growing water crisis, emphasizing the importance of a unified, science-based approach to ensure long-term water security.
Addressing the ‘Consultation Roundtable on National Water Security’ 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 scarcity and other times destructive floods, so water management is as crucial as water availability,” he said. Urging to go beyond “traditional statements”, he stressed the need for a national consensus on water conservation and a coherent water security policy.
“This challenge cannot be resolved in isolation, whether between the federation and provinces, sectors or regions. It has now become a national security issue,” 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 key pillars of a multi-dimensional strategy. Highlighting limited storage capacity as a major concern, he noted that Pakistan could only store water for about 90 days, far below global standards.
He called for a national agreement on the expansion of water reservoirs through large, medium and small dams, recharge and delay dams, flood water reservoirs, hill torrent management and urban rainwater harvesting. “New water reserves must be seen as the foundation of national survival and not a political debate,” he said.
On water use efficiency, the minister highlighted that agriculture consumes most of the water but with low productivity due to outdated irrigation practices.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 need to embrace the principle of more value per drop,” he said, linking water use reforms to cropping patterns, subsidies and pricing policies. The minister also singled out the uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater, describing it as a “silent lifeline” under threat.
He called for a national groundwater governance framework encompassing aquifer mapping, recharge systems, extraction regulation, solar tube well management and community conservation. “The falling water table and increasing pollution are creating a silent storm beneath our feet,” he warned.
Highlighting the role of technology, Iqbal stressed the need to move towards data-driven water management. He proposed real-time telemetry, satellite monitoring, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, smart meters, 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 stressed that climate resilience is a key pillar, calling for better preparation against droughts, melting glaciers and hill torrents, as well as better drainage systems.
