World Water Day is officially recognised each year on March 22. The goal is to inspire world-wide political arid community action and encourage greater global understanding of the need for more responsible water use and conservation, World Water Day for 2006 is guided by the news water decade's theme "Water and Culture".
The theme 'Water and Culture' of WWD 2006 draws attention to the fact that water is at the heart of many religions and is used in different rites and ceremonies, represented in art, music, painting, writing, and cinema. A nation-wide survey report on the state of the drinking water supply and usage in Pakistan has suggested that only 19.4 percent of the people have confirmed access to clean and safe drinking water recently.
The report says, " 77 percent of the rural population does not have government water supply provisions, 54 percent have access to drinking water through hand-pump or motor-pump, 5.8 percent through river/lake/canal, 14.4 percent from fountain, 3 percent from well and 1.3 percent use bottled water for drinking purposes."
According to a study conducted by UNEP, water-related disasters have disrupted national economies, severely weaken poor and vulnerable and are now recognised as impediments for sustainable development and reduction of poverty. Losses caused by natural disasters are particularly depriving countries of resources, which could otherwise be used for economic and social development.
According to experts, unavailability and access to clean water and sanitation, presence of hazardous pollutants in water bodies and trans-boundary water problems have severe implications on people and their health. It is believed that one among five people do not have access to safe and affordable drinking water, half of the population of the world does not have access to sanitation and 3-4 million people each year die of water borne diseases.
In Asia, of the 94 percent of the Asian population only 48 percent of the population has sanitation services. The situation in rural areas is worse where only 38 percent of the population has sanitation services, compared to 78 percent in urban areas.
According to a study by the UK's Keel University, Pakistan stands at sixth position in the world as regards water scarcity. The UN says more than 1.1 billion people around the world lack safer water and 2.4 billion have no access to sanitation. One can assess the severity of lack of running water and sewer problems with the fact that in Africa, women base their choice of a husband on whether he can provide a toilet, rather than a trench latrine or nothing at all.
Pakistan's per capita water availability has declined from 5,800 cubic meters at the time of independence to 1,200 cubic meters in 2005. It is expected to reach the threshold limit of 1,000 cubic meters before 2010, or even 2007.
The city of Karachi and its vicinity have been facing water shortages very frequently in the last one-decade and the situation is growing worse. It is estimated that by 2010-2012, there could be a severe water shortage. According to an official estimate, the total water requirement for Karachi is 700-800 million-gallon (MGD) per day but it is getting 435 MGD only.
It is suggested that desalination plant installation has to be expedited. Desalination seawater now costs far less than in the past due to the introduction of Chinese technology. Chinese are repeatedly offering the desalination technology at low cost. The offer was lastly made in communication addressed to the Pakistan embassy in Beijing for transmission to Islamabad. It may be remembered that Chinese desalination technology is one of the cheapest in the world with a cost equivalent to 65 US cents per 1,000 gallon of water.