PR No.111 Islamabad: 18th July 2018

Federal Minister for Water Resources said that it is fitting to draft guidelines for an implementation plan of the national water policy considering the prevalent conditions of water scarcity in the country. While addressing the first meeting of the National Water Taskforce, the minister advised all the experts to come up with their well-prepared suggestions to draw a roadmap with the purpose to better address country’s valuable water issues, within the guidance of National Water Policy. This Consultative meeting was jointly organized by the Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Flood Commission in collaboration with UNESCO, in Islamabad today (Wednesday) which aimed to draft roadmap for implementation of National Water Policy, which was approved by Council of Common Interests (CCI) earlier this year, In order to facilitate early implementation of the National Water Policy. Chair of the national taskforce on water Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Director, UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, presented key points of the draft roadmap to the minster. He pointed out that dams and artificial recharge of aquifers are urgently needed but increased water storage capacity of Pakistan cannot solve the problem alone. There must be a focus on improved governance, trans-boundary data availability and more extensive water losses analysis is needed to confirm seasonal water loss, availability and requirements on provincial basis. He presented a 3 Pillar, 10-year Draft Plan for a Water Secure Pakistan. Those three pillars include water infrastructure (dams and artificial recharge of aquifers), governance according to 21st century water management standards, and technology for water resilience & water efficiency. The Minister has issued directions to constitute a high-level National Taskforce to prepare roadmap for water secure Pakistan. as the country has become a water stressed state, as Per capita annual water availability dropped from 5,260 cubic meters in 1947 to less than 1,000 cubic meters in 2018. This consultation meeting was attended by the high-level officials of water sector government departments and academia having vast experience in water sector. ***** ?

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