First-ever water management policy on the cards

Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif has said that the government is in the process of formulating its first-ever water management policy in the country and the Parliament is deliberating upon its various aspects. Pakistan is the only country in the region which does not have any water management policy. The government of General Pervez Musharraf had submitted water management policy to the federal cabinet which returned the summary with the direction to bring it back after consultation with the stakeholders.
However, the water management policy was not tabled before the cabinet, or subsequent cabinets, despite the passage of almost a decade. The Minister was talking to a delegation of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial and Research Organisation (CSIRO) led by Margaret Adamson, the High Commissioner of Australia, on Wednesday. The Minister apprised the delegation that Pakistan is also facing the impact of global climate change which is affecting the precious water resources of the country alarmingly. He urged taking of effective measures so that the impact of global warming and climate change could be minimised.
The Minister highlighted that the government is fully aware of the sensitivity of the issue and has been actively pursuing policies and legislation along with on ground practical steps for preservation and better management of water resources. The Minister emphasised greater sensitization of society on the issues relating to water resources and called for a effective awareness campaign through media, seminars, public walks and through curriculum modification in the education institutions. Areas of mutual interest particularly in the field of water management co-operation and power sector development also came under discussion.
The objective of new policy would be access to potable water supply to all and adequate quantity of water financial sustainable irrigated agriculture to meet food and fibre requirements. Water for industry to support high economic growth and better and equitable use of water to meet the need of all users are two aspects of the new policy. An official told Business Recorder that water demand is increasing for food, fibre and power. Combined use of surface and ground water, inefficient use of inequitable distribution of water especially in irrigation, deteriorating water quality, inadequate drinking water and water supply and poor quality of services are some of the technical issues facing Pakistan. Besides this, deteriorating infrastructure in the irrigation and drainage sub-sectors, environmental degradation of irrigated lands are also key issues. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms headed by Ahsan Iqbal and Ministry of Water and Power are not liaising with each other on the new water management policy.