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| Indus Basin: Status & Sustainability |
| Nuzrat Yar Khan* |
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| Located in one of the world’s most arid
countries, the Indus Basin is water-stressed (i.e. demand for water exceeding
the available amount). Pakistan’s population and economy are heavily dependent
on the annual influx of water into the Indus and its tributaries (Jhelum,
Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers). The entire population of Pakistan, in
one way or the other, is dependent on the goods and services provided by the
ecosystems representing the Indus and its tributaries. The basin covers an area
of about 1,40,000 sq.km and provides
water for 90% food production in Pakistan, contributing 25% of GDP. But the Indus
Basin is rapidly degrading both socio-economically and bio-physically. Major
issues include water scarcity, water quality and sanitation, burgeoning population,
poverty and illiteracy, rapid urbanization and rural-urban migration, global warming,
and poor governance. All of these issues are interlinked and have cumulative
effect on the ecosystem health of the Basin. The Indus Basin is the sole source
of freshwater in Pakistan and, as such, the system lacks robustness and
resilience. Projected overall shortfall of water requirement is 32% by 2050, which
could result in food shortage of about 70% million tonnes. Projections suggest
that even less water will be available for food production with the rapidly
growing population and the consequent demand for non-agricultural uses. All
these issues have profound socio-economic implications. Global warming is
projected to exacerbate the problems being faced in the Indus Basin today. Much
of this malaise is due to a lack of understanding and appreciation of the
complex dynamics of the socio-economic and bio-physical factors governing the
sustainability of the Indus Basin. As such, there is an urgent need for
governance reforms which would focus on undertaking an integrated and holistic
approach to dealing with the drivers of the degrading and depleting ecosystem
of the Indus Basin. This presentation will explore some of the measures which
may be undertaken for the health and sustainability of the Indus Basin
ecosystem.
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Dr. Nuzrat Yar Khan is a Senior Visiting Fellow
at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad.
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