EDITORIAL: The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD’s) warning of a drought-like situation in most parts of the country due to scarce rainfall should be taken very seriously in Islamabad, especially since there is little chance of improvement as the second half of the season is expected to be just as dry as the first half.
With rainfall 40 percent lower than normal from September 2024 to January 2025, Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab face significant deficits. The ongoing El Niño phenomenon — which involves changes in the temperature of water in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean — combined with these alarming trends, could further strain Pakistan’s already precarious water resources, impacting agriculture, drinking water, and reservoirs.
Now the National Drought Monitoring Centre (NDMC) is “continuously monitoring the meteorological conditions” because, it turns out, the emergence of flash droughts — a period of rapid drought intensification — is also anticipated in upcoming months in light of inadequate rainfall and increasing temperatures. This is a proper national emergency, yet it hasn’t yet sparked the level of urgency and political will it so desperately requires.
Pakistan’s water woes are neither new nor unexpected. We are a country blessed with one of the world’s largest irrigation systems, yet cursed with mismanagement, waste, and a chronic lack of foresight.
According to widely circulated research reports, the country could run dry very quickly if adequate measures are not taken. This dire warning has been reiterated time and again, but the political leadership has largely confined itself to rhetoric rather than action. The consequences of such negligence are manifesting before our eyes.
What is needed is a holistic approach, one that treats water as the lifeblood of the nation rather than a political bargaining chip.
Large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the construction of dams, are essential but must be accompanied by equally significant investments in water conservation and efficient irrigation techniques. Rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and the adoption of modern irrigation methods like drip and sprinkler systems are no longer optional; they are essential tools in our survival arsenal.
The government must also take steps to sensitise the public to the gravity of the situation. Water wastage at the household level, though small on an individual scale, aggregates into a colossal drain on resources. Awareness campaigns, backed by incentives for conservation, could help bridge the gap between policy and practice.
Authorities have been urged to prepare proactively by managing water reserves and adopting conservation measures. These challenges highlight the urgent need for long-term water planning to avert potential calamities. Either we act now to secure our water future, or we resign ourselves to a cascade of crises — agricultural collapse, food insecurity, and social unrest.
For a country already grappling with myriad challenges, the stakes could not be higher. The question is whether the government will rise to meet them or continue to let this precious resource slip through its fingers. Its past record is not very impressive. And this may just be the last chance for the state to get its act together, at least as far as its water security is concerned.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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