By: Dr Waheed M Khan
Published By: ANI News Agency
For many Pakistanis, water is still something they think about only when a tap runs dry, a crop begins to wither, or a city faces an unusually hot summer. But behind these everyday experiences is a much bigger national problem. Pakistan’s water crisis is no longer simply an environmental concern or an issue for farmers and irrigation departments. It is becoming an economic emergency that could determine the country’s food security, employment, exports and long-term development.
Pakistan has one of the world’s largest irrigation systems, yet its water resources are under growing pressure. The country receives an average of around 138.4 million acre-feet of water annually through its river system, while the Indus Basin Irrigation System supports agriculture across roughly 47 million acres. Despite this extensive infrastructure, increasing demand and changing climate conditions are putting greater pressure on available water.
The warning signs are becoming harder to ignore.
Pakistan’s per-capita water availability has fallen from around 5,260 cubic metres in 1951 to below 1,000 cubic metres today, placing the country in a severe water-stress category. Agriculture consumes more than 90 percent of national water use, making the health of the water system directly connected to the country’s food and rural economy.
This should concern every Pakistani, including those who have never planted a crop.
When farmers have insufficient water, agricultural production suffers. When production falls, food prices can rise. When food becomes expensive, household budgets come under pressure. When farmers earn less, rural economies weaken. When exports decline, the country loses valuable foreign exchange.
Water, therefore, is not simply a natural resource. It is an economic asset.
Pakistan’s dependence on agriculture makes the situation particularly serious. Millions of people depend directly or indirectly on farming, while agricultural products and agro-based industries contribute significantly to employment, exports and economic activity. Crops such as wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane and vegetables require reliable water supplies.
A water shortage at the farm level can quickly become an economic problem at the national level.
The recent situation in Sindh demonstrates how serious the consequences can be. In June 2026, Sindh faced substantial shortages during the critical Kharif season, with reports of a nearly 40 percent shortfall in some canal supplies. The shortage threatened seasonal crops, including rice, while concerns were also raised about drinking water supplies.
The economic implications are significant. Larkana Division, for example, is a major rice-producing region. Local business representatives have estimated that rice production in the area contributes billions of rupees in foreign exchange each year and supports hundreds of rice mills and related businesses. A water crisis in such an area does not stop at the farm gate. It affects transporters, millers, labourers, traders and exporters.
This is why Pakistan must stop treating water shortages as temporary seasonal problems.
The country is also facing a deeper groundwater challenge. As canal supplies become unreliable, farmers increasingly turn to tube wells. In some areas, groundwater that was once available at shallow depths is now being extracted from much deeper levels. This means higher pumping costs, greater electricity consumption and additional financial pressure on farmers.
The situation creates a vicious cycle.
Farmers need more water because temperatures are rising. They pump more groundwater because surface supplies are uncertain. Pumping requires more energy. Energy is already expensive. Higher costs reduce farm profitability. Lower profitability discourages investment in modern equipment and technology.
Meanwhile, climate change is making the situation even less predictable.
Pakistan is experiencing increasingly irregular rainfall, rising temperatures, drought conditions in some areas and destructive floods in others. The Indus Basin is particularly vulnerable because it depends on snow and glacier melt as well as rainfall. In 2026, the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region recorded another year of unusually low seasonal snow cover, raising concerns about future water availability in the Indus Basin.
The irony is striking: Pakistan can face both floods and water shortages.
Too much water arrives at the wrong time, causing destruction, while too little is available when farmers need it most.
The answer cannot simply be to build more dams, although additional storage is important. Pakistan also needs to fundamentally change how it uses the water it already has.
Modern irrigation must become a national priority. Drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, laser land levelling, improved watercourses and better farm-management practices can help farmers produce more with less water.
The country also needs to reconsider what it grows and where it grows it. Water-intensive crops should not automatically receive priority simply because they have traditionally been cultivated in particular regions. Agricultural policy should increasingly encourage crops that provide higher economic value while consuming less water.
Water losses must also be reduced.
Pakistan has invested heavily in its irrigation network, but an ageing system and inefficient distribution mean that a significant amount of water can be lost before reaching fields. Repairing canals, improving measurement systems and introducing transparent monitoring can potentially deliver economic benefits without requiring the creation of entirely new water sources.
Equally important is the question of provincial trust.
Water has always been a sensitive issue between provinces, and recent shortages have again produced disagreements over distribution. In June, Sindh raised concerns about shortages despite improved overall inflows and reservoir storage, highlighting how questions of allocation and trust can become as important as the absolute quantity of water available.
Pakistan cannot afford a water policy based on suspicion.
The country needs accurate data, transparent measurement and confidence that every province is receiving its legitimate share under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord. The stronger the monitoring system, the less space there will be for political controversy.
There is also a human dimension that economic statistics cannot fully capture.
In parts of the Indus Delta, freshwater shortages have allowed seawater intrusion to damage farmland and freshwater supplies. Reports from coastal Sindh indicate that salinity is increasingly threatening communities, livestock and agriculture.
For families living in these areas, the water crisis is not a future threat. It is already part of daily life.
Pakistan needs a national water strategy that looks beyond crisis management. The government has already recognised the need for greater water security, including investment in reservoirs, smaller dams, groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting and floodwater storage.
But policy announcements alone will not solve the problem.
Water security requires long-term investment, political consensus, better governance and public participation. Farmers must be supported in adopting efficient irrigation. Cities must improve wastewater management and rainwater harvesting. Industries must reduce unnecessary water consumption. Households must also recognise that conservation is not merely an environmental responsibility; it is an economic necessity.
Pakistan’s economic future depends heavily on how intelligently it manages water.
A country cannot expect sustainable agricultural growth without reliable irrigation. It cannot maintain food security while allowing groundwater to decline unchecked. It cannot increase exports if agricultural production remains vulnerable to water shortages. And it cannot protect rural employment while farmers face rising costs and uncertain water supplies.
The choice before Pakistan is therefore clear.
We can continue treating water shortages as an issue that appears in the news whenever a canal runs low, or we can recognise water security as a central pillar of national economic planning.
The country has limited water, but it still has choices.
It can waste it or conserve it. It can fight over distribution or build trust through transparency. It can continue using outdated irrigation practices or invest in modern technology. It can wait for another crisis or prepare before the next one arrives.
Pakistan’s water crisis is already an economic crisis.
The real danger is not that we have suddenly run out of water. It is that we may continue using tomorrow’s water as if there will always be more.
Pakistan cannot build a secure economic future without first securing the water on which that future depends.
