UAE Wants to Import Pakistan's Precious Dasht River Water

[RiazHaq]

Haq's Musings: UAE Eyes Pakistan's Dasht River Water in Balochistan

A top UAE businessman has proposed building a 500 kilometer long pipeline to bring Pakistan's Dasht River water from the Makran coast to Fujaira for his United Arab Emirates' water security.

Water-scarce Pakistan itself needs to store and use the Dasht River water for development of Balochistan, particularly Gwadar and other related projects as part of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Abdullah Al Shehi, the CEO of GeoWash, has argued that the Dasht River floods annually, which has prompted the Pakistani government to empty the excess waterthrough channels leading to the sea. That excess water, said Mr Al Shehi, could be put to use in the UAE, according to a report in the UAE's newspaper "The National".


Dasht River


Dasht River:

Dasht River is located in Makran region and Gwadar District, in the southwestern section of Balochistan Province, in southwestern Pakistan. The Kech River, a seasonal intermittent river, is a tributary of the Dasht River which flows southeast through the Central Makran Range in the Gwadar District of Balochistan into the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea.


Mirani Dam

Mirani Dam:

Mirani Dam was completed on Dasht River in 2006 to store over 300,000 acre-feet of fresh water to meet the needs of southern Balochistan. This water reservoir is essential for the development of a deep sea port and a major new metropolis in Gawadar as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. In addition to supplying fresh water to Turbat, Jiwani and Gwadar cities, it has sufficient capacity to irrigate over 33,000 acres of farm land.

UAE Water Security:

The United Arab Emirates uses 80% of its fresh water for agriculture in its arid desert and the rest of the 20% for urban needs, according to The National. Here's the key question: Does it make more sense for the UAE to import food rather than grow its own food by importing fresh water? The second question is: Can the UAE focus on desalination for the water it needs for urban use?

Summary:

Gwadar port was first conceived in late 1950s when Pakistan purchased the region from the Sultanate of Oman. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been talked about since early 1990s. But nothing was done to develop until President Pervez Musharraf allocated time, money and focus to build first several berths at Gwadar deep sea port, Coastal Highway to connect it with Karachi and Mirani Dam in Balochistan to supply water on his watch.

Now water-stressed Pakistan needs to focus on building greater water storage capacity if it's really serious about developing Gwadar, Southwestern Balochistan and the Makran coast. It must not agree to export the Dasht River water to anyone, including the UAE. Instead, it should offer to export food as necessary to meet UAE's needs.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Water-Stressed Pakistan

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

President Musharraf's Legacy

Mineral Wealth of Balochistan

Pakistan Farm Land Controversy

Recurring Floods and Droughts in Pakistan


Haq's Musings: UAE Eyes Pakistan's Dasht River Water in Balochistan

 

[Muhammad Omar]

So how gonna we supply water to Gwadar?

 

[Bilal.]

So how gonna we supply water to Gwadar?

It was just an idea floated by a guy, if you read the original news story no one took it seriously. What is more serious is that a plan for 200 small dams was envisioned for Baluchistan, ppp reduced to a hundred but still continued, now the program has been halted after just a few dozen dams.

 

[Desert Fox]

Screw the UAE. That's our water. It'll be best used for our own needs.

 

[GreenGuy]

First use every drop of water we need and accumulate it in dams.
And then if any quantity of it flows into the ocean then export that.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

It was just an idea floated by a guy, if you read the original news story no one took it seriously. What is more serious is that a plan for 200 small dams was envisioned for Baluchistan, ppp reduced to a hundred but still continued, now the program has been halted after just a few dozen dams.

everything was halted in PPP golden era

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

No , water belongs to Baluchistan area irrigation

If UAE covers cost of KALA bagh dam any extra water we save or conserve we can sell

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Screw the UAE. That's our water. It'll be best used for our own needs.

Bakuchistan is already facing drought... Orchards lay barren today..crops have been bad... Only if this water could be strores... Build more dams (including Kalabagh)...

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

Haq's Musings: UAE Eyes Pakistan's Dasht River Water in Balochistan

A top UAE businessman has proposed building a 500 kilometer long pipeline to bring Pakistan's Dasht River water from the Makran coast to Fujaira for his United Arab Emirates' water security.

Water-scarce Pakistan itself needs to store and use the Dasht River water for development of Balochistan, particularly Gwadar and other related projects as part of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Abdullah Al Shehi, the CEO of GeoWash, has argued that the Dasht River floods annually, which has prompted the Pakistani government to empty the excess waterthrough channels leading to the sea. That excess water, said Mr Al Shehi, could be put to use in the UAE, according to a report in the UAE's newspaper "The National".


Dasht River


Dasht River:

Dasht River is located in Makran region and Gwadar District, in the southwestern section of Balochistan Province, in southwestern Pakistan. The Kech River, a seasonal intermittent river, is a tributary of the Dasht River which flows southeast through the Central Makran Range in the Gwadar District of Balochistan into the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea.


Mirani Dam

Mirani Dam:

Mirani Dam was completed on Dasht River in 2006 to store over 300,000 acre-feet of fresh water to meet the needs of southern Balochistan. This water reservoir is essential for the development of a deep sea port and a major new metropolis in Gawadar as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. In addition to supplying fresh water to Turbat, Jiwani and Gwadar cities, it has sufficient capacity to irrigate over 33,000 acres of farm land.

UAE Water Security:

The United Arab Emirates uses 80% of its fresh water for agriculture in its arid desert and the rest of the 20% for urban needs, according to The National. Here's the key question: Does it make more sense for the UAE to import food rather than grow its own food by importing fresh water? The second question is: Can the UAE focus on desalination for the water it needs for urban use?

Summary:

Gwadar port was first conceived in late 1950s when Pakistan purchased the region from the Sultanate of Oman. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been talked about since early 1990s. But nothing was done to develop until President Pervez Musharraf allocated time, money and focus to build first several berths at Gwadar deep sea port, Coastal Highway to connect it with Karachi and Mirani Dam in Balochistan to supply water on his watch.

Now water-stressed Pakistan needs to focus on building greater water storage capacity if it's really serious about developing Gwadar, Southwestern Balochistan and the Makran coast. It must not agree to export the Dasht River water to anyone, including the UAE. Instead, it should offer to export food as necessary to meet UAE's needs.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Water-Stressed Pakistan

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

President Musharraf's Legacy

Mineral Wealth of Balochistan

Pakistan Farm Land Controversy

Recurring Floods and Droughts in Pakistan


Haq's Musings: UAE Eyes Pakistan's Dasht River Water in Balochistan

Building of dams is encouraged in our BOOK. Turkish companies have now ample experience in building dams in difficult mountainous terrains and they have cases to show. I am looking forward to the day when they are heavily involved in building dams all across Pakistan!!

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

The thing is if Pakistan constructs 2 Dams like Kala Bagh Dam there would be so much water saved

a) Pakistan can irrigate land
b) Create electricity
c) The accesswater can be sold via bottles to UAE as a valid import at discount rates

The water system constructed to benefit Balouchistani residents is for them to cultivate the land with crops and agriculture and dinkable water sorry

I think there is hidden chance for companies to invest in DAM construction in Pakistan and perhaps have right to fill artificial water lakes to collect water and sell to international destination

If UAE invests in helping construct KALA bagh dam project , they can access water which is excess of need for Pakistani needs (instead of going to sea)


Some of the wonderful water projects done by Pakistan Military and Musharaf shahib were gift to Baluchistan people

 

[Desert Fox]

Bakuchistan is already facing drought... Orchards lay barren today..crops have been bad... Only if this water could be strores... Build more dams (including Kalabagh)...

They won't build them. We have a bunch of greedy, selfish, incompetent scums running our country and it is in their personal interests to hold this country back from progressing. Their loyalty is to their wallets and to anyone willing to fill them.

 

[Viper0011.]

Bakuchistan is already facing drought... Orchards lay barren today..crops have been bad... Only if this water could be strores... Build more dams (including Kalabagh)...

There are over hundred mini to medium reservoirs being built in Baluchistan. These will help turn this state into a green one. Plus, sometime in the near future, once the CPEC completes, a canal system will also be created which will route existing water from different rivers right before the floods, into newly built canals. This water will then be sent to a long journey towards Baluchistan. Such a system will near empty out the rivers basins from the high impact zones, leaving plenty of rooms for flood water to come in and not cause an over-flow (or reduced the over flow by 70-80%). That way, this rain water can be sent to Baluchistan, turning it green and educing 70-80% of the flood damage.

Remainder of the flood water can be stored at newly built dams (some of which are already being built and some more will start soon).

Pakistan's infrastructure is growing and the country is jumping towards becoming a modern day society. Give it about 5-8 more years and it'll become like Malaysia and Turkey.

 

[tarrar]

No, no need for that at all. Pakistan should concentrate on the needs & requirements of the province.

 

[Bilal.]

everything was halted in PPP golden era

Any chance of it being restarted? Even the website has been sold off.

@Viper0011. a I and Omar are discussing, the 100 dam projected has come to a halt.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Screw the UAE. That's our water. It'll be best used for our own needs.

Flood water is wasted in sea, isn't it better to give to brotherly nation for use even they will pay for this. Kalabagh Dam wasted billions of cubic flood water,save that water at least it alone solve all water / electricity problems in Pakistan.