Chairman Regional Standing Committee of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Ahmad Jawad, has said, "We need to develop a comprehensive strategy to build water reservoirs on priority basis to meet the production of agriculture at par. Talking to newsmen, he said the mismanagement of water will have its biggest impact on country's agricultural sector.
According to the World Bank, 43 percent of Pakistan's employment is in the agricultural sector (WDI 2014). This prosperous industry relies on the single largest contiguous irrigation system in the world. While this is an impressive feat, Pakistan also fosters one of the lowest crop yields per unit of water in the world. This is alarming because Pakistan uses a whopping 97 percent of its water resources on its agriculture industry.
"The looming threat of water scarcity is an issue that is rarely talked about in Pakistani politics, and yet it constitutes one of the biggest challenges to Pakistan's survival. With a projected population of 263 million in the year 2050 (United Nations 2012), Pakistan needs to put serious thought into how it will provide adequate water for agriculture, industry, and human consumption in the face of rapidly dwindling reserves". Ahmad Jawad also mentioned that Pakistan's water issues are multi dimensional. There is no single, all-encompassing problem, but instead multiple, interrelated problems.
Therefore, Pakistan needs to completely rethink its entire approach to its water resources. It will take time to implement solutions to these problems, and yet time is in very short supply. It is projected that by about 2035, Pakistan will become water scarce. We should understand without water there is no life. It not only ensures our food and fiber security but also provides necessities of life. Though the government initiatives towards building dams were appreciated but it needs to be done on fast pace, he remarked. Jawad also said if we provide agriculture in the non-settled areas, it will not only reduce poverty but also militancy.
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