Pakistan has potential to generate 60,000MW of electricity from hydel source but unfortunately we failed to construct any big dam for power generation and water conservation during last few decades. Member (Water) Wapda Engineer Hasnain Afzal told media after addressing a seminar on "Think-Eat -Save" organised by Pakistan Engineering Congress(PEC) in connection with World Environment Day on Wednesday.
Hasnain Afzal said we can get cheap electricity only through hydel source but unfortunately we are depending on thermal power generation for electricity generation which is too expensive. Hasnain said that Pakistan has entered into "food insecurity zone", hence, Pakistan needs to focus on building dams for water conservation and power generation. We should also focus on water management apart from raising awareness among the people about water conservation, he said, adding: "Media can play an important role in this regard."
He also said water conservation should be the part of curriculum in schools. Hasnain said that for the future food security we need to embark on the path of sustainability by adopting measures such as equitable agricultural land distribution, support of sustainable agriculture and effective family planning. Speaking on the occasion President Pakistan Engineering Congress Engineer Riaz Ahmad Khan said that in Pakistan we are already touching the water scarcity index as the present per capita availability of water is about 1100 cubic metres against the threshold of 1000 cubic metre per annum. Riaz said that there is a dire need to conserve whatever fresh water resources we have and to adopt most efficient water use practices.
Khan said that Think-Eat -Save is an anti food waste and food loss campaign that encourages us to reduce our food print. According to UN Food and Agriculture organisation every year 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger and malnutrition.
Khan further said that fresh water is one of the most burning issues of the world. He said that 2.5 percent of the total water is fresh water out of which nearly 30 percent is ground water and 68.6 percent glaciers, ice caps and only 1.3 percent surface and fresh water. Over a billion people lack access to safe drinking water and two and a half billion lack access to adequate sanitation services.