Water resources are under immense pressure from climate change, soaring demand for water in domestic, agriculture and industrial sectors. There is an urgent need for communities, companies and governments to come up with innovative solutions to secure water that can help maintain the balance between people and nature.
This was the message delivered to the participants of different seminars and workshops organized by the WWF-Pakistan at various universities and textiles mills in different cities to mark the World Water Day on Friday.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan highlighting this message said this environmentally significant day is celebrated globally to highlight the importance of water related issues by raising awareness and encouraging policymakers to look into sustainable development initiatives in cities as a support to lessen stress on urban water systems. The theme of WWD this year is Leaving No One Behind, which focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 and aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. This theme also highlights the importance of working together for solutions to current water problems.
Freshwater is the lifeblood of our planet. It sustains life on Earth, is a human right, a social need and underpins most economic activity, which is why WWF's Global Water Goal is to ensure that freshwater ecosystems and their services sustain people and nature. It is important to value Pakistan's water bodies, particularly rivers and lakes. To achieve SDGs, it is urgent to manage them efficiently and conserve other water resources. Due to mismanagement and ill-planning of water resources Pakistan is a water scarce country and Pakistan's per capita surface water availability has declined from 5,260 cubic meters per year in 1951 to around 930 cubic meters today, which is likely to drop further to about 860 cubic meters by 2025. The rapid rise in population will further aggravate the water situation.