Ayesha Saba

China’s collaboration in water management has helped Pakistan address its severe water scarcity problem, said Ms Saiqa Imran, Deputy Director of Pakistan Council of Research and Water Reservoirs (PCRWR), in a interview with WealthPK.

“China has helped Pakistan in various ways to manage its water resources. For instance, it has provided Pakistan with the technical expertise, equipment, and funding for construction of dams, reservoirs, and irrigation systems. It has also facilitated the transfer of advanced technology and best practices in water management,’’ said Saiqa.

Last year the PCRWR signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the China Water Resources Beifang Investigation, Design, and Research Co. Ltd. (BIDR) to contribute to Pakistan’s development in water management and smart irrigation.

‘’Pakistan is facing environmental degradation as it experienced dryness with little rainfall in one season and floods in the next. There is a need for groundwater recharge solutions, especially in light of the massive floods last year.  In order to increase water storage at all levels, we need to develop large, medium, and small dams, where it is possible to do so,’’ said the PCRWR deputy director.

“It is high time to build new dams to conserve water for power generation, irrigation, and drinking purposes. Moreover, the rainwater harvesting system is the best alternative holding considerable potential, especially in areas like Islamabad. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has introduced the rainwater harvesting system in its building by-laws, making it necessary for every household to build a storage tank on the rooftop,’ she added.

According to a report published by the PCRWR, Pakistan relies on the Indus River and its tributaries for water, with 84% of the total inflow occurring during the three monsoon months and the remaining 16% spread over the rest of the year. With increased climate variability, the wet years/seasons are becoming wetter, and the dry years/seasons drier.

According to the report, the capacity of the existing reservoirs is depleting at a rate of about 0.2 MAF/year. Only in the Tarbela reservoir, 500,000 tons of sediment is depositing per day. Therefore, there is a dire need for building new reservoirs to replenish the depleting capacity.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk