Hisaar Foundation on Wednesday launched the recommendations of Pakistan's national water policy framework for the consideration of the government. This is a culmination of two years of consultations which included discussion sessions with various water stakeholders across the spectrum as well as two international water conferences that focused on water co-operation and water security.
The recommendations are part of the first report of the Think Tank on Rational Use of Water. The recommendations focus on five main areas for further action. These include improving water access for the poor and landless, financing the urban and rural water value chain, safeguarding the Indus Basin and its infrastructure, improving water institutions and their management and governance and finally building a base for science, technology and social aspects of water.
The goals of the recommendations for Pakistan's national water policy framework call for extending irrigation system to arid districts of Pakistan. It also calls for creating new storages and enhancing existing storages at different levels. The policy framework calls for improvement in water efficiency by 10 percent. It also calls for increasing productivity in agriculture. The policy framework recommends preserving, repairing and maintaining the existing water infrastructure. It also calls for a reversal in abiyana to realise the true value of water.
The policy framework calls for control in groundwater withdrawals as well as generation of additional indigenous hydropower. The recommendations also call for increased co-ordination between water, agriculture and industry for maximum benefits. Finally it calls for making investment in water infrastructure and hydropower a core part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The policy framework was presented by Simi Kamal, Convenor, Think Tank on Rational Use of Water. Samar Ali Khan, also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the fact that mismanagement of water is a governance issue and that the government is non-responsive. The panellists included notable personalities such as Ehsan Malik, Arif Alvi and Seema Taher Khan. Panellists also included Abdul Fateh Tunio from Planning and Development Department and Irshad Bohio of Wapda Hyderabad. The discussion was moderated by Zohair Ashir, Chairperson Hisaar Foundation.
Pricing of water was an important topic of discussion amongst the panellists as was the inaction on the part of the government to formulate a national water policy. Arif Alvi said that Karachi is dumping approximately 420 million gallons of sewage into the sea. Ehsan Malik shed light on the water economy. He said that while the CPEC will raise investment of 50 billion USD, the cost of replacement of the existing Indus basin irrigation system amounts to 1 trillion USD which needs to be protected first.
To conclude, Seema Taher Khan urged the Sindh government to adopt the policy framework for implementation at all levels. She also said that the policy framework will be launched in all the provinces. Songs were also played depicting the plight of the people of Tharparkar and other arid areas.