Pakistan to be water deficient country by 2012

[fatman17]

Pakistan to be water deficient country by 2012

December 10th, 2007 -
Lahore, Dec 10: Pakistan will be a water deficient country by 2012 if the water storage capacity is not increased. At present, the storage capacity is only 13 per cent of the annual water flows from rivers.
This was revealed during a briefing to a delegation of the Pakistan Air Force War College in Karachi.
The delegation led by Air Vice Marshal Tubrez Asif, visited WAPDA House. WAPDA Member (Water) Muhammad Mushtaq and PEPCO MD Munawar B. Ahmed briefed the delegation about the water and electric power scenario of the country.
The delegation was briefed about the storage capacities of various countries, and informed that the US has developed a 497 per cent storage capacity from the annual flow from the River Colorado.
Likewise, Egypt possesses a 281 per cent storage capacity on the River Nile and India 35 per cent on Sutlej Beas Basin.The delegation was apprised that the accumulative grow storage capacity of Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs that originally used to be 18.37 million acre feet MAF has reduced to 13.22 MAF due to sedimentation, resulting in 28 per cent loss of capacity.Hence, construction of more than one mega dam is inevitable to meet the growing demand of water as well as electric power in the country.
Dispelling the impression regarding constructions of large dams, Munawar said that at present China alone is building 95 major dams with a height of 200 feet or more, Turkey is constructing 51 large dams flowed by Iran with 48, Japan with 40 and India with 10 large dams.
Contrary to this only one such dam is being constructed in Pakistan while another one has recently been completed, members added.
Ahmed said PEPCO is striving hard to minimise the gap between consumption and generation of electricity.
He said a number of reforms are being introduced to make the power sector of Pakistan more efficient and customer friendly, The Nation reported.

 

[PakistaniPatriot]

Thanks for the notice fatman. There are a few dams on blue print at the moment if i am not wrong. Right.

 

[Neo]

Musharraf's vision to complete five ongoing mega projects is the only way to save the country, I hope future governments will take this threat as seriously.

We have an arid climate but sufficient seasonal rainfall and water from the Himalayas, better water management can change the face of the country.

 

[ejaz007]

Indeed a scary situation. I think kala bagh dam should be launched without further delay. In future water might become expensive than oil.

 

[fatman17]

Indeed a scary situation. I think kala bagh dam should be launched without further delay. In future water might become expensive than oil.

guys - the survival of our great nation depends on securing our water resources - i am a bit dissapointed that this post has not attracted the passionate response and attention that it requires.

 

[fatman17]

Climate change 'likely to cause wars'
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor.

Climate change is likely to aggravate old conflicts and trigger new tensions that could spill over into war or violence in many parts of the world, a report for the United Nations Environment Programme said.

Full coverage of the Bali climate conference
Areas at risk of greater insecurity include northern and southern Africa, central Asia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, China, parts of the Caribbean and Andean and Amazonian regions of Latin America.

Troops in Afghanistan: Climate change could lead to wars
The report, by German and Swiss academics, says that the population of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean is estimated to grow by 40 per cent by 2025 at the same time as rainfall and agricultural production will be in decline.

Entitled Climate Change as a Security Risk, the report suggests that the climate change-induced causes of conflict are likely to be: degradation of freshwaters; decline in food production; increase in storm and flood disasters and environmentally-induced migration.

It identifies vulnerable states and societies as those that are in political transition and have a low level of economic activity with often large population or high population densities.

The regional hotspots identified are:

North Africa. It says this could be at particular risk of rising interstate conflicts including ones that might affect the region and beyond. Some countries in North Africa have recently suffered internal unrest and tensions including Algeria and Morocco.advertisementIn addition, many countries here are "characterised by poverty, high youth unemployment, wide social discrepancies and scanty state social security networks".

Aggravating pressures will be the likelihood of increased migration to the north by people living in the Sahel region and increased rural to city migration.

"As usable land and water resources become increasingly scarce, and use of non-sustainable methods of agriculture continues, desertification will cause further impoverishment and the risk of water and land-related conflicts at regional and local level will increase throughout North Africa," says the report.

After 2025-2030, water conflicts between Egypt and other countries cannot be excluded and could trigger insecurity that is 'felt far beyond the region".

The experts believe that the political and institutional structures of southern Europe will be able to cope with environmental changes such as drought and heat waves. But it notes that migration from countries of North Africa to EU countries could have violent consequences.

Central Asia. Above-average warming and glacial retreat will exacerbate water and agricultural problems in a region already characterised by political and social tensions and civil war, (Tajikistan).

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. The retreat of glaciers in the Himalayas will jeopardise the water supply for millions. Changes in the monsoon will affect agriculture.

China. Climate change will intensify existing environmental stresses from air and soil degradation. Cyclones and sea level rise will affect the populous south coast. The report says that the government's capacity to cope could be overwhelmed by the rapid pace of modernisation, social and environmental crises and climate change.
Hans Schellnhuber, a lead author of the report, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and a visiting professor at Oxford university, said:" Without resolute counteraction, climate change will overstretch many societies' adaptive capacities within coming decades. This could result in destabilisation and violence jeopardising national and international security to a new degree".

 

[BATMAN]

This water scaricity issue is known to us from long time. Specialists have proposed many dams in past but nothing has been materialised till todate.
Only because, lack of political will. I only can blame nationalist parties, constituting present day APDM.
They are enimies of Pakistan they don't allow a Punjabi to buy land in dry Balauchistan but yet they get violent over expulsion of N.Sharif??
I think stupids are those balauchis who will go against a reformist like P. Musharraf, who is pushing mega water projects despite more than ever political opposition.

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. The retreat of glaciers in the Himalayas will jeopardise the water supply for millions. Changes in the monsoon will affect agriculture.

I wonder how occupying glaciers means controlling the water or changing it's direction of flow!

 

[HAIDER]

Another war for water resources or more dam ?...next govt need to chose one.

 

[PakistaniPatriot]

Another war for water resources or more dam ?...next govt need to chose one.

Actually this is a Qayamat (Doomsday) ki nishani. Qurb-e-Qayamat. God please help us. No wars and disagreements needed at least not on this issue.

 

[fatman17]

Another war for water resources or more dam ?...next govt need to chose one.

its going to be really interesting to see what the politicians (read waderas) do about this issue when their lands turn into desert.

 

[HK-47]

war over water....that gotta suck.wouldn't it be funny if a country had to import water from a foreign nation?