Pakistan has world’s second-most overstressed aq...

Summary

• Pakistan is facing a growing water and food security crisis as groundwater extraction continues to exceed natural replenishment, putting the country’s agriculture, public health and economic stability at risk.
• According to the study, Pakistan’s groundwater crisis is not simply the result of insufficient water resources.
• Although the country has substantial underground water storage capacity, groundwater management has received less attention than the planning and development of surface-water resources.

AI Generated Summary

Pakistan is facing a growing water and food security crisis as groundwater extraction continues to exceed natural replenishment, putting the country’s agriculture, public health and economic stability at risk. An estimated 1.5 million or more tubewells are contributing to the problem, with limited regulation allowing excessive pumping across the country.

A report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), titled Pakistan’s Groundwater Crisis: Policy Lessons and a Framework for Sustainable Resource Use, states that Pakistan extracts around 65 cubic kilometres of groundwater annually, while natural recharge stands at approximately 55 cubic kilometres. This growing gap has made the country the world’s fourth-largest groundwater user and left it with the second-most overstressed aquifer system globally.

Groundwater has become essential to Pakistan’s daily life and economic activity. Nearly 60 per cent of irrigation, more than 70 per cent of drinking water supplies and almost all industrial operations depend on underground water resources. Continued depletion could therefore disrupt agricultural production, threaten drinking water supplies and increase pressure on industries.