In-House Session Report...IN-HOUSE SESSION REPORT 4 Major General Hafiz Masroor Ahmed, (Retd) –...

IN-HOUSE SESSION REPORT

“WATER SECURITY: ISSUES/WAY FORWARD ON

AGGRESSION AND CONSERVATION”

Organized by

Center for Global and Strategic Studies, Islamabad (CGSS), at

Islamabad, Pakistan

29th December, 2018


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Brief of the Event

On 29th December 2018, an In-House Discussion was held at Center for Global and

Strategic Studies, Islamabad. The core agenda was based on analyzing the current

situation of water in Pakistan and for efficient water resource management to exploit the

full potential of existing water resources to avoid water scarcity, food insecurity, water

wastage, energy deficit, wastage of fresh water and agricultural losses. The participants

deliberated on the topic and presented their viewpoints on the prevailing situation and

pin point the policies and recommendations to improve the current situation and to fulfill

the needs of the country.

The event was chaired by Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery, HI (M),

(Retd) – President Center for Global and Strategic Studies and attended by the

following dignitaries:

Major General Hafiz Masroor Ahmed, (Retd) – Vice President CGSS

Mr. Kamal ud din Tipu – Former Inspector General of Police

Mr. Ahmed Kamal – Chairman Federal Flood Commission, Ministry of Water

Resources

Dr. Muhammad Ashraf – Director General, Pakistan Council of Research in Water

Resources (PCRWR)

Mr. Akhtar Bhatti – Team Leader, Water Sector Capacity and Advisory Services

Projects, Ministry of Water Resources

Dr. Ashfaq Sheikh – Pakistan Engineering Council, Ministry of Science and

Technology

Dr. Zakir Hussain Dahri – National Coordinator (water resources), Pakistan

Agricultural Research Council (PARC)

Brigadier Abdullah Khan, (Retd) – Member Advisory Board CGSS

Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Taimur Akram, (Retd) – Executive Director CGSS

http://www.cgss.com.pk/


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Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery, HI (M), (Retd) – President Center

for Global and Strategic Studies

General Jaffery stated that with the ever-increasing demand for fresh water has

already become a major issue for policy makers all around the world

We are working on it in a form of conferences/seminars and giving

recommendations to relevant stakeholders

Pakistan Armed Forces are also working on this issue with the water experts and

then after will formulate a policy draft for the government



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Major General Hafiz Masroor Ahmed, (Retd) – Vice President CGSS

General Masroor emphasized that the past national issue of Kalabagh dam was

not about the division of water but rather it is about that water will be used for

electricity generation and then will lose all its power

The main reason for the lack of management is the poor work ethics

There is no management system for crop production controlling for instance, if the

crop doesn’t require extra water then how to control it to avoid the wastage of water

Infrastructural mismanagement is the main hindrance in storage and water

management

Mr. Kamal ud din Tipu – Former Inspector General of Police

IG Kamal stated that the dilemma is, we make huge policies but where is the

implementation, we are lacking in the implementation process

We have to focus on other innovative sides, innovation is always there at all levels

in every field as well such as, research and software

Integration is required among the Academia, Research and the Practitioners

Research based policies in the implementation process will lead to accurate results

and can be applied and implemented anytime in any field

We have to focus on alternatives in the meantime of building the large dams

Dr. Muhammad Ashraf – Director General, Pakistan Council of Research in

Water Resources (PCRWR)

Dr. Ashraf highlighted that we are lacking to understand the importance of crop zoning

and crop patterning for instance, for rice production certain area is designated but when

you change the area it costs un-appropriate growing and a huge amount of water loss.

Furthermore, Dr. Ashraf gave brief presentation on “Pakistan Water Issues and Way

Forward”.

1. Water used in different sectors



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Minimum domestic water requirement is 50 liter/person/day

To produce 1 kg cereal grains requires 1 m3 water (1,000 liters)

To produce 1 kg beef requires 13.5 m3 of water (13,500 liters)

A typical diet requires 5,400 liters/person/day

A vegetarian diet of the same nutritional value requires 2,600 liters

70 times more water to grow food than directly use for domestic purposes

More than 93 percent available water is used in agriculture

More than 60 percent groundwater contributes to agriculture

Irrigation is used on 80 percent of all arable land

Produces almost 90 percent of all food and fiber requirements

It accounts for around a quarter of the country’s GDP

It employs 44 percent of the labor force, supports 75 percent of the population, and

accounts for 60 percent of foreign exchange earnings

2. Existing water resources of Pakistan

Major storage reservoirs: 3

Live storage capacity (designed): 15 MAF

Barrages, head works and siphons: 23

Main irrigation canals: 45

Command area: 16.6 Mha

Total geographical area = 80 Mha

Culturable land = 30 Mha

Rainfed farming = 12 Mha

Rainfall – less than 200 mm to over 1000 mm

3. World’s Largest Surface and Groundwater Resources

One of the largest contiguous irrigation systems of the world

One of the largest groundwater resources of the world (4th after India, USA and

China)

Groundwater supplement over 60 percent of the surface water supplies



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Over 90 percent drinking water and 100 percent industrial water comes from

groundwater

4. Major water sector issues

Water shortage (water shortfall that was 11 percent in 2004 will increase to 31

percent by 2025)

Recurring floods (2010, 2011, 2014) ≈ 90 MAF

Inadequate water harvesting and storage facilities (only 10 percent of the average

annual flow)

Reduction in storages capacities of the existing reservoirs due to sedimentation

(0.2 MAF/year)

Unutilized potentials – hill torrents, Sailaba – 18 MAF

Low system efficiency (less than 40 percent)

Low land and water productivity

Groundwater depletion/degradation

Disposal of drainage effluent (10 MAF)

Wastewater use and disposal

5. Major challenges

Wet years/seasons are becoming more wet and dry years/seasons are becoming

dry: how to transfer water from wet year/season to dry year/season?

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40

60

80

100

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Year of MonitoringSafe

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Increased precipitation intensity and variability - floods and droughts: storage and

optimum reservoirs operations

Groundwater depletion (quantity and quality): how it can be managed?

Changes in water quantity and quality will impact food production: how to improve

water productivity?

Are the current water management practices robust enough to cope with the

climate change: development of climate smart technologies?

Impacts on water supply and demand: development of appropriate crop zoning

and cropping pattern?

The Way Forward

6. Increase storage and improve water governance

Construct small and large dams where possible

Improve the surface water governance with proper pricing

Legislate and restrict indiscriminate groundwater abstraction

Control increase in population

7. Improve water productivity

Improving conveyance and application efficiencies

Using high efficiency irrigation systems

Changing the existing cropping patterns

Adopting proper irrigation scheduling

Using saline groundwater

Use of improved agronomic practices



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Dr. Zakir Hussain Dahri – National Coordinator (water resources),

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC)

Before going deep into the options and strategies to resolve the prevailing water crisis,

three policy questions raised hereunder require attention by the policy makers;

Are we going to persist with the current policies, strategies and institutional mechanisms

(business as usual scenario) to deal with this challenging situation of water crisis? The

simple answer is no. Innovations at all level are urgently needed. Fortunately, our

national food security policy and national water policy have very recently been approved.

What is lacking is appropriate action plans and efficient institutional mechanisms to

implement these policies.

Another question that comes in mind that at what level our agriculture should be

expanded horizontally? Presently, about 87 to 97 percent of the total fresh water use is in

agriculture sector, still the agriculture sector faces shortages of irrigation water every year.

Horizontal expansion of agriculture will add extra stress on the already scarce freshwater



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resources. However, this demands efficiency and optimization rather than horizontal

expansion of agricultural sector.

Generally, too much emphasis is placed on development of surface water. But we have

neglected groundwater resource, which is 10 times more than the annual surface water

supplies. Sustainability of this huge resource is threatened by overexploitation and

pollution. Saving a unit of water is much cheaper than development of the same amount

of water.

Strategies

The following strategies and associated action plans are urgently needed to cope with the

growing water security problem in Pakistan;

1. Development and Augmentation

Harnessing the potential of storage reservoirs

Harnessing the untapped flood water and runoff from hill torrents in the areas

where it is wasted through groundwater recharge in saline zones

Construction of storage tanks and ponds for domestic and stock-water use (mainly

in desert areas)

2. Conservation and Management

Integrated watershed management in the catchment areas of all river basins

Development of optimal crop zones and strict enforcement of crop zoning

Water supply and demand analysis based on new crop zoning

Revisiting of canal water duties

Regulations to check over exploitation of groundwater

Regulations to check contamination of surface and groundwater resources

Groundwater recharge mainly in urban and rain fed areas to avoid using huge

financial resources to reduce groundwater recharge from the conveyance losses

and then again spending huge resources to artificially recharge groundwater

Technologies for sustainable exploitation of fresh groundwater layers



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3. Efficient Utilization

Optimized irrigation under varying water supply and agro-ecological conditions

Promotion of regulated deficit irrigation

Promotion of high efficiency drip, sprinkler and other micro irrigation systems for

improving water productivity

Promotion of efficient surface irrigation techniques and resource conservation

technologies

4. Recycling and Reuse

Treatment and use of municipal and industrial effluents for irrigation

Promotion of water desalination techniques for domestic and irrigation uses

Conjunctive use of brackish and fresh waters

Promotion of bio-saline agriculture



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5. Valuation

Revisiting water pricing for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses depending

on availability quality and reliability of water

Exploring and regulation of the potential of water markets

6. Institutional Arrangements

We need to reassess our institutional mechanisms to manage water resources,

particularly after 18th constitutional amendment. It is good to have a separate

ministry of water resources at federal level. Yet, water is being managed and

researched by four different ministries at federal level at Ministry of Water

Resources, Ministry of NFS&R, Ministry of Climate Change and Ministry of

Science and Technology and two departments at provincial level are Irrigation and

Agriculture departments. Consequently, there are many overlaps and duplications

in their mandates and outcomes. Institutional reforms in irrigation sector at

provincial level were introduced about two decades back but could not be

completed. Two parallel systems of irrigation departments and autonomous

Irrigation and Drainage Authorities are functioning. It is high time to decide which

direction we want to go and take further steps to bring improvements in the

system.

7. Trans-boundary Conflict Management

Indus Water Treaty

Kabul Basin Water Treaty (we need to properly prepare and wait for optimal

timing)

Improvements in water apportionment accord of 1991 (it is sensitive issue so no

need to alter but supplement it with additionalities)



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Mr. Akhtar Bhatti – Team Leader, Water Sector Capacity and Advisory

Services Projects, Ministry of Water Resources

Mr. Akhtar emphasized that the water probability is required in the management of water

and forecasting, without probability we always have the predicted results which can lead

to success and mainly to disaster. Furthermore, Mr. Bhatti gave a detail presentation on

“Water Management at Farms in Pakistan”.

1. Water availability

Rain Water (75% < 250 mm) (20% < 125 mm)

Surface Water 144 MAF Average (108 to 163)

Ground Water

o Total Area 39.5 Million Acres

o Saline 24.7 Million Acres

o Fresh Water 14.8 Million Acres

o Total Quantity Available 59 MAF

o Present Extraction 50 MAF

o Balance 9 MAF (economic limit)

2. Productivity per unit of water

Canada 7.82 kg/ m3

USA 1.56 kg/ m3

China 0.82 kg/ m3

India 0.39 kg/ m3

Pakistan 0.13 kg/ m3

3. Productivity per unit of land

France 7.60 t/ha

Egypt 5.99 t/ha

Saudi Arabia 5.36 t/ha

Punjab (India) 4.80 t/ha

Punjab (Pak) 2.30 t/ha

Pakistan (Average) 2.24 t/ha



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4. GDP contribution m3 per of water

World (Average) USD 8.60

Developed Countries USD 30-40

Malaysia USD 10

Pakistan USD 0.34

5. Challenges

Surface (Gravity) Irrigation System

Water Availability is Supply Driven

Lack of Intermediate Storage

Annual Canal Closure for Maintenance

Low Cost Recovery (Low Abiana Rates)

Lack of Adequate Maintenance – Inefficient Operation

Scarcity of Irrigation Water

Weekly Rotation (Warabundi)

Flood Irrigation

Night Irrigation

Design Cropping Intensity of 70 percent (Present +159 percent)

Small and Scattered Land Holdings

Prevailing Poverty

Poor Access to Inputs

Wide Spread Illiteracy

Inadequate Water Management Knowledge

Lack of Water Management Skills

6. Options

Raise Awareness Level of Farmers on Low Productivity

Create Enabling Environment through efficient and timely provision of;

o needed knowledge and skills

o training and capacity building

o advice and demonstration

o inputs and supplies



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o micro credit and loans

o marketing outputs

Establish a Water Management Extension Service to;

o transform watercourse commands as agricultural production factories / hubs

o introduce improved water management methods and techniques for surface

(gravity) irrigation to maximize crop per drop

o promote high efficiency irrigation as appropriate & feasible

o introduce low requirement high value crops and orchards

Pilot Testing of Cooperative Farming

Pilot Testing of Intermediate Storage

7. Conclusion

Improved water management at farm level is essential to tap the significant

potential available due to low productivity of water and land

Saving of irrigation water at farm level can be used only to increase yields and area

under irrigation. These cannot be transferred in time and space and therefore

cannot be substitute for the additional water supply from storages

A number of reliable and tested soft options are available to increase the

productivity of water and land at farm level but require a behavioral change among

users that needs hard work from a missionary extension services to raise awareness

and building their knowledge and skills

Increasing storage capacity will not be enough unless the water is managed most

efficiently and productively at the farm where it is translated into biomass.

Miscellaneous Discussion

The Participants stressed that the water issues are not new, they existed in the past

but the issues were not prioritized until it led us to the energy shortages and serious

problems

The National Water Policy 2018, does it requires some changes in the

implementation mechanism?



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We have to work together as a nation and need to take ownership on water issue

like in the past we had ownership on the nuclear program irrespective of

governments but the work must continue in the right direction for the sake of

national development.

Is there options that;

o We go for water management

o We build small dams or large dams

We have to set focus on our management and functional mechanism of

institutions, for instance, ISRA is dysfunctional due to measurability but today

there are 1000 other ways of technology, why are we not opting for new and

modern technological ways.

We have self-created problems and lobbies at intra provincial levels, which do not

allow to opt for other innovative options therefore, we have to change our mindsets

and find solutions as a one nation for the betterment of our motherland.

Building small dams are pivotal for the domestic users, although big dams are

necessary because it can serve anywhere but a small dam can fulfill the needs of

about 10 to 20 villages and will provide opportunity for better management of

resources with lower costs.

The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) has survived the major conflicts. Is there a

requirement to enter into a treaty between Afghanistan and Pakistan, not like the

Indus Water Treaty but in manner where there should be a mechanism of

information sharing?

On the Chitral River as being upper riparian, through our courts can we take notice

to stop new constructions as a legal advice to implement a proper usage procedure

and to stop the illegal system in practice.

Mr. Ahmed Kamal – Chairman Federal Flood Commission, Ministry of

Water Resources



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In the year 2005, three studies were conducted and General Musharraf tried to

build dams but IRSA failed to implement ground work due to politically obsessed

and unqualified office holders.

National water policy was finalized during General Musharraf’s era with the

consensus of all provinces but the next governments delayed the projects with

proposed changes and it continuously goes till now.

National trans-boundary organization should be built with representatives from

all concerned stakeholders.

It is our own mismanagement that for the last 14 years no representative from

Pakistan has gone to India to inspect the design of dams, etc. under the clause of

Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

We need Kabul River or Kabul basin authority with members from both Pakistan

– Afghanistan side which includes information sharing, researches to avoid crisis

because it should be designed to keep it on higher at technical level and should be

kept lower at political level.



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Brigadier Abdullah Khan, (Retd) – Member Advisory Board CGSS

Brigadier Abdullah khan reiterated that governance and water management is the

main issue, it can be enforced if applied in a proper manner because still there are

ways and institutional capacity to achieve the positive results.

Dr. Ashfaq Sheikh – Pakistan Engineering Council, Ministry of Science and

Technology

Dr. Ashfaq was of the view that we have to control the negative approach regarding

the financing strategy for the construction of the big dams, when the construction

of dam will start the donors will come.



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Conclusion

The in-house discussion concluded with the following points;

Pakistan must enhance its water storage capacity.

Academia, research bodies and practitioners should be integrated to attain

properly researched based accurate data.

Pakistan needs to build major dams to fulfill the current and future demand and

to conserve water for the future generations.

Institutional capacity needs to be enhanced for better water management and

governance.

Pakistan is facing worst water crisis that requires an integrated approach and

efforts at multiple levels; individual, community, districts, provincial and at

national level with a public awareness initiatives.

Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery, HI (M), (Retd), concluded the in-house

discussion by expressing his profound regards to the participants. Moreover, he expressed

his hope that the suggested measures and recommendations will be facilitated in a

particular manner for the development and prosperity of the country.

*Report Compiled by Mr. Wajahat Abbas – Research Associate and Project

Coordinator, Water Issues


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