Search

Valuing Water for Sustainable Development in Pakistan

Dr Mohsin Hafeez 07:01 AM | 22 Mar, 2021
Valuing Water for Sustainable Development in Pakistan

A global celebration of water happens every year on 22nd March on the eve of World Water Day as suggested by UNCED in 1992. The objective to celebrate World Water Day is to highlight the significance of this fresh resource in different dimensions of our daily life. Every year, a specific theme of World Water Day is decided. For the year 2021, the World Water Day theme is Valuing Water. The value of water cannot be defined by its price due to its complex, tremendous and multidimensional value whether it is economically, socially, culturally, or for the integrity of our natural environment. We cannot ignore any of these values which are well recognized in Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The government of Pakistan (GoP) is considering water as a strategic resource as water security is linked to food security and thus to the security of Pakistan. For valuing water, the GoP has developed a National Water Policy (NWP) in 2018 with seven key principles and strategic priorities including Conservation and Efficiency, Storage, Leveraging Technology, Renewable Energy, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Comprehensive Regulatory Framework, and Planning Principles. This policy provides an overall framework and guidelines for a comprehensive plan of action leading to the development of sustainable solutions for valuing the water. The GoP has already made good solid progress in achieving few key principles set in the NWP. For example, the GoP is going to build two new water dams (Mohmand and Basha) that are very well aligned with the NWP priority. To comply with the NWP, all four provinces are working on developing the provincial water acts. For example, Punjab and KP provinces already approved the Punjab Water Act, 2019 and KP Water Act, 2020, respectively.

NWP, 2018 has established nine relative priorities of water uses for multi-sectors (drinking and sanitation, irrigation, livestock, fisheries and wildlife, hydropower, industry, and environment, etc.,) Water Resources Commissions, as proposed in Punjab and KP Water Acts, will be allocating water to different users based on the above-mentioned priorities. This is already a key step to value the water for different sectors. 

However, one of the biggest water sectors challenges to value water based on NWP priorities will be a lack of evidence-based accurate information at the Indus Basin scale. For example, more than 90% of water use has been reported for the agriculture sector in Pakistan but these numbers are not reliable and accurate due to the lack of any scientific study at the Pakistan level. Similarly, there is no reliable information on the amount of water used for livestock and domestic, industry, commercial, and environmental sectors across Pakistan. 

Another key water management challenge is poor governance of groundwater resources in the Indus basin. The groundwater has played a major role in augmenting 60% of irrigation supplies through privately installed more than 1.5 million tube-wells for crop production in the basin. Several research studies have been carried out in bits and pieces to collect groundwater information at spatial scales. Groundwater levels and water quality vary during the irrigation and monsoon season across the basin. As a result, there is little credible scientific information available on groundwater monitoring (quantity and quality), database development (tube well mapping), regulation, and management at the Indus Basin scale. The NWP also highlighted that there is a need to develop a national planning database of water, weather, and climate at the Indus Basin Level.

The Government of Pakistan aspires to become one of the 10 largest economies in the world by 2047. Given the importance of water to Pakistan’s economy, valuing water for different users will be essential to realizing this goal. Therefore, there is a dire need to carry out water accounting and water resources assessment for assessing water availability and consumption for agriculture, industry, domestic, and environmental sectors within the basin and outside of the Indus basin. The developed baseline of water accounting and water resources assessment will provide comprehensive, consistent, reliable, and accurate information which can be used by the Water Resources Commissions on water distribution, storage, availability, and use across multiple scales that will be fundamental for developing future investments plans in the water sector for Indus basin. This will also lead to achieving the true value of water thus can expedite peace and prosperity in Pakistan.

The author is a Country Representative for International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Pakistan. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and not those of IWMI. He can be reached at m.hafeez@cgiar.org

Dr Mohsin Hafeez
Dr Mohsin Hafeez

Mohsin Hafeez is a Country Representative for International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Pakistan. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and not those of IWMI. He can be reached ...

Advertisement

Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal rates on March 30, 2023

KARACHI - Following are the foreign currency exchange rates for US Dollar, Saudi Riyal, UK Pound Sterling, U.A.E. Dirham, European Euro, and other foreign currencies in Pakistan open market on March 30, 2023 (Thursday).

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 283.6 286.65
Euro EUR 305.5 308.5
UK Pound Sterling GBP 348 351.5
U.A.E Dirham AED 77 77.7
Saudi Riyal SAR 75.5 76.3
Australian Dollar AUD 187.5 189.9
Bahrain Dinar BHD 753.99 761.99
Canadian Dollar CAD 206 208.2
China Yuan CNY 41.25 41.65
Danish Krone DKK 41.26 41.51
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 36.11 36.46
Indian Rupee INR 3.45 3.56
Japanese Yen JPY 2.15 2.22
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 925.67 934.67
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 62.85 63.45
New Zealand Dollar NZD 175.57 177.58
Norwegians Krone NOK 26.33 26.63
Omani Riyal OMR 736.34 744.35
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 77.92 78.62
Singapore Dollar SGD 209.5 211.5
Swedish Korona SEK 26.5 26.8
Swiss Franc CHF 308.25 310.75
Thai Bhat THB 8.28 8.43

Today's gold rates in Pakistan – 30 March 2023

KARACHI - The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 207,700 on Thursday.The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs178,070.   

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs163,624 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs 190,880.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Karachi PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Islamabad PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Peshawar PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Quetta PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Sialkot PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Attock PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Gujranwala PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Jehlum PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Multan PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Bahawalpur PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Gujrat PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Nawabshah PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Chakwal PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Hyderabad PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Nowshehra PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Sargodha PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470
Faisalabad PKR 207,700 PKR 2,470

Advertisement

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Sign up for Newsletter