Environmental Issues
1. The threat of Global Warming and the ways to counter it. (2018)
2. “Do not waste water even if you were at a running stream.” (2021)
3. Water crisis and national unity. (2016)
Water crisis in Pakistan – causes and consequences
OUTLINE
1. Introduction
Water crisis – number one global risk based upon its impact on society
(World Economic forum 2015).
Water Scarcity – a nightmare scenario for Pakistan, despite it having the world’s largest
glaciers.
Pakistan being a single basin country is facing challenges of water scarcity.
Pakistan among the 36 most water stressed countries.
2. Overview of the Current Situation of water crisis in Pakistan.
2.1 IMF report throwing light on the severity of Pakistan’s water crisis.
(a) Pakistan has the world’s 4th highest rate of water use.
(b) Pakistan is the 3rd water stressed country in the world.
(c) The aquifer in the Indus basin is the 2nd most stressed in the world.
3. Water Vision 2025.
(3.1) In 2009, the Running on Empty study projected that Pakistan’s water shortfall could
be 5 times the amount of water stored in Indus reservoirs.
4. Causes of water crisis in Pakistan.
(4.1) International causes ‘Water terrorism by India’.
(a) Violation of Indus water Treaty by India.
(i) Construction of Wullar barrage on River Jhelum.
(ii) Construction of Buglihar Dam on River Chenab.
(iii) Kishanganga project on river Neelam.
(b) China’s mega water diversion scheme and its impact on the flow of river Indus
and Satluj.
(4.2) National Causes.
(a) Delay in the construction of dams and water reservoirs (Pakistan’s total dam
storage is 30 days of average demand whereas the figure is 220 days for India.
(i) Kalabagh Dam – a controversial issue.
(b) Rapid population growth and urbanization
(i) Country is among the world’s top 6 most popular states and as per the
UN report, projected to have a population of 300 million by 2050 causing
a threat to sustainability of water resources.
(c) Financial constraints
(d) Inefficient water policy making and lock of proper management of water
resources by the government.
(i) Agricultural sector is untaxed and more than 90 pc of Pakistan’s water
resources are allocated to that sector.
(ii) Unavailability of safe drinking water to the entire population.
(iii) Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs have lost about 5 million
acre-feet due to sedimentation.
(iv) An estimated 40% of water that run through canals is lost because of
seepage.
(4.3) Natural causes
(i) Increase in the global warming and melting of glaciers.
(a) On average, glaciers currently lose between 50 to 150 cm of thickness every year that
is 2 to 3 times more than the average of the 20th century.
5. Consequences of Water Crisis.
(5.1) Global Impacts.
(a) Threat of nuclear war between India and Pakistan on the water issue. i.e; India uses
water as weapon against Pakistan in IWT agreement conflict in 2016.
(5.2) Impacts.
(a) Water wars among provinces (Escalating tensions between Punjab and Sindh).
(b) Severe episodes of droughts leading to the devastation of agriculture.
(i) Water logging and salinity is increasing as a result of installing more and more tube
wells in order to overcome the shortage of dams.
(c) Loss of habitat and devastation of tourism industry leading toward unemployment and
Economy.
(d) Sewerage disposal issue resulting in pollution
(e) Lesser availability of clean drinking water (arsenic poisoning)
(f) Importation of water at high rates.
6. Water management strategies
(6.1) International Level
(a) Pakistan should take the issue to International court of Justice in order to urge India
not to make dams on Western rivers.
(6.2) At National Level
(a) Construction of dams and improvement of existing canal system.
(i) Construction of Kalabagh Dam [It will create a reservoir with usable storage capacity
of 6.1 MAF].
(ii) Raising Mangla Dam, Gomal Dam, Satpara dam, and Sabakzai Dam should be the
top priority.
(iii) Canlas should be cemented in order to stop the seepage of water.
(iv) Creation of Think tank (planning commission, HEC, universities, PEC) for
water Resources Development and Management.
(b) Water pricing reforms tariff reform is critical to ensure sustainable water use as canal
water is heavily underpriced.
(c) Bringing the agriculture within the tax net.
(i) Agriculture in Pakistan is largely untaxed more than 90% of Pakistan’s water
resources are allocated to this sector.
(d) Sufficient and sincere political will is required to implement water pricing reforms.
(e) Nationwide campaign to raise awareness.
(i) Regarding less water intensive crop production exp drip irrigation system should be
adopted.
(ii) Optimum crop rotation should be encouraged.
7. Conclusion
Water, the elixir of life, is an invaluable resource that sustains all living organisms on our planet.
However, despite its seemingly abundant presence, humanity is facing a grave challenge known
as the water crisis. The water crisis refers to a state of inadequate water supply and poor water
quality, posing significant threats to human health, socio-economic development, and
environmental sustainability. This essay explores the causes, consequences, and potential
solutions to this pressing global issue.
Earth is the birthplace of human civilizations thriving on this planet. However, the inhabitants of
this planet have exploited the resources of Earth for their own benefits resulting in a sharp
increase in the average temperature of the globe. In fact, the increase in the temperature of the
Earth has resulted in the phenomenon of global warming which is a real threat to the survival of
mankind.
Jakarta is soon to become an ex-capital city. Indonesia is planning to move its administrative
headquarters from its richest island of Java to the forest island of Borneo because two-fifths of
Jakarta lies below sea level and parts are dropping at a rate of 20 cm (8 inches) a year. Maldives
began to divert a portion of the country’s billion-dollar annual tourist revenue into buying a new
homeland because it will no longer be the country by 2050. The accumulated amount of man-
made, global warming pollution in the atmosphere traps as much extra heat energy as would be
released by 400,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs exploding every 24 hours, 365 days a year.
These all figures are pointing towards one end that global warming is a reality. In order to serve
economic goals, some countries find it more suitable to declare it a self-presumed myth yet
realities prove that global warming is an awful reality. The main evidence of global warming
includes an increase in Earth’s average temperature, changes in weather patterns, and rising food
insecurity around the globe. Moreover, the intensification of natural disasters, shrinking of ice
sheets, and extinction of species are some other clear evidence of global warming. The main
causes which lead to global warming include huge consumption of animal products, burning of
fossil fuel, and deforestation coupled with excessive use of insecticides, lubricants, and
fertilizers. These causes result in devastating consequences which include loss of life and
infrastructure, reduction in agriculture productivity, and immense administrative challenges.
Thus, the above issues prove that global warming is not a myth but a concrete reality of the 21st
century.
Women Universities as Agent of Change Essay
Education of women is a pre-requisite for the rise of a nation and women’s universities can play
the role of agents of change in our country by overcoming the social barriers that restricted
women from getting higher education; Moreover; universities for women can significantly
increase the literacy rate and professional competence of women in our society allowing them to
play a much-needed role in the progress of Pakistan which was the vision of our Quaid.
Good Governance and Public Service Delivery
Good governance promises efficacious working of the organs of a state which is a pre-requisite
for attaining national progress but the corrupt regimes of the past never allowed the flower of
good governance to blossom, thereby, allowing the curse of corruption and mismanagement to
weaken the foundations of the state; therefore, it is imperative to take stringent measures to
implement an efficient governance system in the country in order to improve public service
delivery which is a characteristic of a welfare state.
Economy of Pakistan
Pakistan, a country having the tremendous potential for economic growth, has failed to perform
on the economic front primarily due to the erroneous policies of previous governments that have
landed our country into the whirlpool of economic crises resulting in the financial woes for the
people of Pakistan; therefore, it is mandatory to fix this daunting problem of poor economic
growth of our country by introducing robust economic reforms in order to steer the country
towards the corridor of financial stability which is essential for the survival of Pakistan as an
independent state among the nations of the world.
Education is not a Commodity rather a Necessity
Education is a necessity that enables a society to thrive by providing equal opportunities to
everyone in a social setup which is necessary to promote harmony and peace but if education is
considered a commodity, it results in chaos and social disorder. Necessity: Life, path, economic
uplift, grooming, values, norms, culture, mobility, society, nation-building, economy,
democracy, opportunity. Commodity: Price, consumed, social disorder, chaos.
Corruption
The termite of corruption has eaten away the social and moral fabric of our society which has
brought Pakistan, a country having huge potential for progress and prosperity, to the edge of
destruction by paralyzing the state institutions; however, this plague of corruption can be
countered through efficient policymaking to strengthen the foundation of our country in order to
make Pakistan a progressive country which was expected of it at the time of its inception.
Democracy
Example No. 1
From new democracies to long-established ones, polarized politics is shaking societies across the
world. Example No. 2 There are more troops in DC now than there are in Afghanistan and Iraq.
– US Congresswoman Seth Moulton Example No. 3 Referring to the democratic system of the
world as a peak of human political development, Huntington described it as the End of Human
Political History.
