iscussing the critical importance of water as a resource in Pakistan will not require us to build our argument on the Malthusian theory. Pakistan’s collective water availability roughly amounts to 193 million acre feet (MAF), whereas the current requirement is 3.5–7 MAF.

The crises relate to equity, access and inter-sectoral distribution. Nevertheless, with the climate change in action, rising temperatures, melting glaciers, deforestation, exploding population and urban pollution, we may need to use statistical evidence of geometrical vs arithmetical growth and credit Malthus’s insights.

Is water, the lifeblood, scarce? Pakistan’s water resources are under siege from both natural and human-induced pressures. The nation’s dependence on the mighty Indus River system, once a source of abundance, now poses a significant challenge as climate change alters the delicate balance of this vital water source.

In a country where agriculture forms the backbone of the economy and supports the livelihoods of millions, the specter of water scarcity looms large. Pakistan’s water crisis is not a distant threat. It is a present reality. Per capita water availability has plummeted from 5,600 cubic metres in 1947 to an alarming 1,017 cubic metres in 2021. This precipitous decline places Pakistan perilously close to the 1,000 cubic metres water scarcity threshold set by the United Nations.

The melting of glaciers in Pakistan, often called the “third pole,” is accelerating at an alarming rate. While this initially leads to increased water flow, it portends a future of severe water scarcity once these natural reservoirs are depleted.........

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