Pakistan currently faces a multitude of crises encompassing economic, political, and social turmoil, and an energy shortage. Amidst these challenges, a more pressing concern emerges, surpassing issues of debt and inflation, and that is the looming problem of water scarcity. Water serves as the cornerstone of sustenance, not only driving the nation but also sustaining individual lives.
In this discussion, Nauraiz Rana engages in conversation with Laila Kasuri, an expert in water and sustainable development with years of experience in the field.
It is worth noting that Pakistan receives a staggering 229 billion cubic meters of water annually, a quantity surpassed by only 16 other countries worldwide. There is a critical need for a comprehensive understanding of both absolute water scarcity and the economic aspects of water security. Many reports declaring Pakistan as water-scarce rely on outdated data that fails to account for the actual runoff the country receives.
Pakistan boasts numerous water sources, with some remaining unaccounted for in current calculations. This raises a pivotal question because it is convenient for governments to assert that Pakistan lacks sufficient water when in reality, scarcity stems more from governance challenges than any natural shortage.
