ISLAMABAD:
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday outlined a comprehensive, multi-pronged national strategy to tackle Pakistan’s growing water crisis, stressing the importance of a unified, science-based approach to ensure long-term water security.
Addressing the ‘Roundtable Consulting on National Water Security’ under the ‘Uraan Pakistan’ initiative, the minister said the country’s water challenge is no longer limited to scarcity but also stems from persistent mismanagement.
“Sometimes we face extreme shortages and other times devastating floods; therefore, water management is as critical as water availability,” he said. He called for a shift beyond “traditional statements” and emphasized the need for national consensus on water conservation and a coherent water security policy.
“This challenge cannot be resolved in silos, whether between the federation and provinces, sectors or regions. It has now become a matter of national security,” he added, warning that external pressures, including attempts to use water as a strategic tool, had further increased vulnerability.
Iqbal stressed that Pakistan’s response must be “national, united, scientific and future-proof”, identifying key pillars of a multi-dimensional strategy. He highlighted limited storage capacity as a major concern, noting that Pakistan could only store water for about 90 days, far below global benchmarks.
He called for a national agreement on expansion of water reservoirs through large, medium and small dams, recharge and delay dams, flood reservoirs, hill stream management and urban rainwater harvesting. “New water reserves should be seen as the basis of national survival, not political debate,” he said.
Regarding water use efficiency, the minister pointed out that agriculture consumed the majority of water, but with low productivity due to outdated irrigation methods. He proposed a national water efficiency and conservation mission, including modernization of irrigation systems, laser leveling of the soil, drip and sprinkler technologies, digital irrigation, wastewater recycling and transparent water accounting.
“We must adopt the principle of more value per drop,” he said, linking water use reforms to cropping patterns, subsidies and pricing policies. The minister also flagged the uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater, describing it as a “silent lifeline” under threat.
He called for a national groundwater management framework that includes aquifer mapping, recharge systems, regulation of extraction, solar tubewell management and community-based conservation. “The falling water table and rising pollution are creating a silent storm beneath our feet,” he warned.
Iqbal emphasized the role of technology and stressed the need to move to data-driven water management. He proposed real-time telemetry, satellite surveillance, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, smart metering, flood modeling and early warning systems.
“Pakistan needs a reliable real-time national water information system to guide decisions on river flows, groundwater levels, reservoirs and climate risks,” he said. He highlighted climate resilience as a key pillar and called for improved preparedness against drought, glacial melt and hill streams, along with better drainage systems.
