World Water Day 2020 celebrated to draw attention towards profundity of water situation

World Water Day 2020 celebrated on March 22 every year to draw the attention towards the profundity of the water situation each year.

World Water Day 2020 celebrated to draw attention towards profundity of water situation2.2 billion People do not have access to this ‘common wealth’. the per capita availability of water has dipped below the minimum level of 1,000 cubic metres per year In Pakistan.. Already an extremely water-stressed nation, we are slated to become the most water-stressed country in the region by 2040.

At least 14.2% increase in water availability is required to meet the needs of Pakistan’s ballooning population by 2025 – so taking action now is imperative.

The first thing for all to understand and accept is that our water crisis is a management problem rather than a pre-ordained decree and thus there is a human solution. Pakistan has annual flows of 145 MAF of water. With proper management and planning, the actual requirement is 40 MAF; however, with our antiquated water management systems, research indicates that even 300 MAF of water would not suffice.

According to the 2019 World Bank Group report, deficiencies in Pakistan’s water resources “… are expected to become starker with increasing water demands and climate change.” Our high water intensity rate (cubic meters of water used per unit of GDP) suggests there is no other economy that is more water intensive. We have the highest stakes, and the most to lose.

World Water Day 2020 focuses directly on the inextricably intertwined relationship of water and climate change. Despite Pakistan’s negligible contribution to greenhouse gases in global context (less than 1%), it is one of the top 10 countries adversely affected by climate change. A World Wildlife Fund report posits that due to Pakistan’s geographic location, average temperatures may rocket higher here than anywhere else – up to 4 degrees Celsius and 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.

The years 2014-2017 already brought severe droughts, and higher temperatures lead to increased demand and rates of evaporation. At this rate, glacial melt may surge, resulting in floods, and then inevitably decrease, further compounding the likelihood and intensity of droughts.

Courtesy: Referral link