Pakistan's per capita water availability reduces by 400 pc

Pakistan's per capita water availability has declined by 400 per cent from 5,600 cubic metres in 1947 to around 1,038 cubic metres in 2021, said Parliamentary Secretary National Health Services Dr Nausheen Hamid on Monday.

"This is a matter of serious concern," Dawn quoted Hamid as saying at a webinar on "Water on the roll: improving access to water in Pakistan."

Noting that Pakistan was the fifth most populous country in the world, she said water scarcity was a "very serious threat" that will aggravate by 2025, leaving very limited water for use.

She also highlighted that inadequate supply of water further aggravated food security in the country.

Besides, quality of water is another issue and Pakistan is among the top 10 countries with the greatest number of people living without access to safe water, Dawn reported.

"Contaminated water is the main reason why Pakistan has not been able to eradicate polio while diarrhoea is the key reason for infant mortality," Hamid said.

She further stated that the government would study the project as it was a unique solution to provide women and under-served communities access to clean water, Dawn reported.

Earlier this week, Experts warned that a famine-like situation may arise in Pakistan due to the scarcity of water across the country if the issue is not resolved timely, Geo News reported.

As per the report, water scarcity in the country has set alarm bells ringing after rivers have dried up due to low rainfall.

Water experts warn that if new water reservoirs are not created and water wastage is not stopped, Pakistan will face a famine-like situation.

In the month of March, a Washington-based magazine, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) placed Pakistan at the third position in the list of countries facing acute water scarcity.

( With inputs from ANI )