National Water Policy.

This National Water Policy provides the guiding principles and broad policy direction for the water sector in Pakistan and deals with some related issues such as climate change threats. Pakistan is rapidly becoming a “water scarce” country. The Policy seeks to respond to this water crisis. It reaffirms the right of all citizens of Pakistan to equal and affordable access to clean drinking water and appropriate sanitation facilities. Irrigated agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy, and consumes around 95 percent of the nation’s water resources, the balance is used for domestic and industrial requirements. Pakistan is heading towards a situation of water shortage, which poses, among other things, a threat to food security. Another threat is floods caused by Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). The objective of the National Water Policy is to take cognizance of the emerging water crisis and provide an overall policy framework and guidelines for a comprehensive plan of action. The Policy is a national framework within which the provinces can develop their master plans for sustainable development and management of water resources. The water resource is a national responsibility but irrigation and agriculture, as well as rural and urban water supply, environment and other water-related subsectors are provincial subjects.
The Policy specifies the main concerns of the water sector. These include, among other things, demand-supply of freshwater, maintenance of waterworks, existing and planned trans-boundary developments, salt balances, depletion of groundwater resources, water wastage, institutional framework, and low irrigation efficiency. Policy objective include, among other things, sustainable consumption and production patterns throughout the water sector, improving availability, reliability and quality of freshwater resources and water management, improving watershed management through extensive soil conservation, catchment area treatment, preservation of forests and increasing forest cover, drought management with emphasis on long-term vulnerability reduction, better regulation of groundwater abstraction, measures for long-term sustainability of irrigation systems, strengthening of awareness and capacity building, protection of wetlands and Ramsar Sites for the prevention of wildlife, flora and fauna, measures to reduce or prevent saltwater intrusion, climate change impact assessment and adaptation for sustainable water resources development and management, and setting major national targets for the water sector including those for water conservation, water storage, Irrigation, water treatment and drinking water. These targets can be firmed up in consultation with the Provincial Governments and reviewed periodically for inclusion in the 12th and 13th Five Year Plans and future plans.
Pakistan is a single-basin (Indus river) country. The principles of integrated and unified planning, basin development and management shall be adopted. Water resources planning for development shall be done in coordination with the policies and projects of other sectors, both public and private and in accordance with planning and regulatory zones; as well as established good practices. Various zones shall be delineated to ensure that within each zone the development of water is planned effectively: Water Resources Planning Zones, Flood Risk Planning and Regulatory Zones, Drought prone planning zones, Watershed Management Zones, Environmental Management Zones, and Crop ecological zones. Re-afforestation, soil conservation and improvement in land use in the watersheds shall be promoted. A National Wetland Management Plan shall be adopted.
The problem of freshwater scarcity shall be accorded the highest national priority. Various measures are proposed and Water Conservation Plans shall be made. Some measures regard transboundary water-sharing. The Policy measures related to water resources will be adopted in line with the provisions of the National Climate Change Policy of 2012. Measures also concern irrigation efficiency and rain-fed agriculture. Plans and initiatives shall be undertaken to progressively provide access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to the urban and rural population of the country.
All water-related Acts shall be reviewed for updating. Where appropriate, they shall be integrated through a smaller number of more comprehensive and updated Acts in order to eliminate overlaps. A National Water Council (NWC) shall be established, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) revitalized and restructured, and a Ground Water Authority will be established in each province. Composition and functions of the National Water Council are defined. Finally, the Policy sets out main targets for 2018-2030 and investment requirements. The Water Resources Division will submit periodical reviews to the Council of Common Interests on the implementation of National Water Policy to ensure inter-alia, that the policy objectives listed in Section 2 are achieved in a timely and cost-effective manner.