Water is the most essential resource required for survival of any form of life. Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water but some 90 per cent is saltwater which cannot be consumed. Only two percent is consumable. Some of the freshwater sources include surface water, groundwater, frozen water and water obtained from desalination. Due to our present life style, water is depleting at a very fast rate. Other than depletion, pollution is a serious threat to the water resources.
Like rest of the world, during dry spells, Pakistan also faces water scarcity. Pakistan urgently needs to increase its storage capacity to meet growing water demands. Thus new dams are needed to be constructed. The construction of dams in Pakistan is crucial, as only two dams have been constructed after independence.
By 2025, Pakistan will reach a level of absolute water scarcity and this wouldn’t only hit the deserts of the south but the north as well, which has snow-covered mountains and more than 5,000 glaciers. The situation is further expected to worsen by 2040 when Pakistan might become the most water-stressed country in the region. Some of the modern strategies Pakistan can adopt for the conservation and better management of its water resources are:
The efficiency of a crop in terms of water use and economic productivity is needed to be ensured before it is grown. The traditional crops such as rice and sugar cane require increased irrigation supplies. Hence their growth should be reduced.
It is also called khadens, are usually earthen surface ponds created by herders to give water to livestock. They are widely seen across the Middle East, where they store between a few hundred and several thousand cubic metres of water.
It is now a common practice around the world. The good thing about it is that it can be introduced in number of places like public and community wells situated in villages, which drain water from nearby rooftops and streets into them. The water situation of a city can be improved by connecting storm water drain lines to storage tanks. This measure will cut down the requirement of groundwater for irrigation and will also help in limiting excessive groundwater abstraction in rain-fed areas.
It is a common practice in many arid countries, including Peru, Chile and Yemen, where rainfall is rare but dense fogs settle over the land for some period of the year. Water is harvested by creating the right conditions for the fog to condense, for example by spreading out sheets of metal or polyfibre, and then channeling the water into underground tanks.
Using on-site technology or recycling systems, the water used in large spaces, including malls, commercial hubs, hotels, among others can be recycled for reuse. This technology is being adopted across the world. Using this technology one could recycle the water into potable water, graywater or blackwater depending on what the structure needs the most.
A much greater amount of runoff is generated when rain falls on paved surfaces as compared to runoff from the same storm falling over a forested area. Presence of trees helps to slow down and temporarily store runoff, which further leads to infiltration, and decreases flooding and erosion downstream.
Alternative sources of water should be discovered in order to cope with the issues like surface water shortages and excessive groundwater abstraction. It is understood now that waste water is a good alternative water resource as it is produced in large amount from different industries and factories in Pakistan. If this waste water is added to the ground water after proper treatment, it can surely be used for improving the water resources.
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by: Abeer Arshad
Tags: modern water conservation strategies
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