[:en]BY ASIM SHAHZAD
LAHORE: The National Workshop on Pathways for Sustainable Groundwater Management in Pakistan, held on 18 September 2024 at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore, focused on the launch of the Groundwater Management Information System (GMIS) and explored the challenges and opportunities for sustainable groundwater management in the country.
The event was attended by key stakeholders from government, academia, international organizations, and donor agencies.
Dr. Mohsin Hafeez (Director Water Food Ecosystems, IWMI), opened the workshop by addressing the critical issue of groundwater (GW) management, noting that it has long been neglected in Pakistan. He emphasized that the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in partnership with academia and the government, is working under the CGIAR NEXUS Gains initiative and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded Water Resources Accountability Programme (WRAP) to enhance groundwater management across Punjab.
Dr. Hafeez highlighted that Pakistan is the fourth-largest user of groundwater globally, with 60% of the resource allocated for agriculture and 90% for domestic use. However, current practices have not been sustainable, leading to excessive depletion that negatively impacts drinking water supplies and results in poor water quality. He noted that industrial effluents are contaminating rivers, with severe consequences for public health, such as waterborne diseases. The National Water Policy (2018) acknowledges the critical importance of regulating groundwater use and extraction and calls for groundwater recharge measures. However, provincial departments face challenges due to a lack of reliable, real-time data on groundwater quantity and quality, a gap that IWMI and the FCDO are working to address.
Pilot projects have been initiated in Okara, Chakwal, and Rahim Yar Khan districts, where IWMI is collaborating with the Punjab Irrigation Department (PID) to geo-tag tubewells
Dr. Hafeez also shared details of tubewell discharge and depth analyses, as well as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which have informed the development of the Groundwater Management Information System (GMIS). He further highlighted the installation of CTD divers for real-time groundwater monitoring, alongside a comprehensive groundwater quality evaluation.
The launch of the GMIS was led by Dr. Wasif Khurshid, Secretary of the Irrigation Department, Government of Punjab. Before the launch, Dr. Jehanzeb Cheema, Deputy Country Representative (DCR) of IWMI, provided a demonstration of the GMIS website, showcasing available data for the districts of Okara, Chakwal, and Rahim Yar Khan. The data included geo-tagged tubewells, the number and distribution of solar tubewells, bore depth, and water quality.
In his remarks, Dr. Khurshid expressed appreciation for IWMI’s efforts and technical support in creating a robust GMIS in collaboration with the Punjab Irrigation Department. He stressed the importance of groundwater for Pakistan’s agrarian economy, noting that the country’s irrigation system is a vital component of the economy, contributing approximately 20% to the GDP. He voiced concerns over the increasing use of groundwater over the past few decades, pointing out that average usage now exceeds recharge rates, leading to an annual deficit of 2 million acre-feet (MAF). This over-abstraction is especially critical in the Indus Basin aquifer, where groundwater use far exceeds recharge. Dr. Khurshid also highlighted that seven districts in Punjab, primarily agrarian, are facing critically low levels of groundwater.
Mr. Saeed Hassan, representing the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), reiterated Dr. Khurshid’s call for collaborative action, emphasizing the importance of breaking down silos in addressing water management issues. He highlighted the longstanding partnership between the UK government and Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, where the UK has a significant developmental footprint across various sectors, including health, education, and climate change. Mr. Hassan commended IWMI for its technical expertise and contributions to providing evidence-based solutions for water management.
He acknowledged the Government of Punjab’s efforts in passing the Punjab Water Act (2019) but recognized that the challenge lies in ensuring its comprehensive implementation.
Mr. Hassan concluded by emphasizing the importance of behavior change in water management and urged stakeholders to advocate for groundwater conservation within their communities and households.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Ruth Meinzen-Dick, (Senior Research Fellow – Natural Resources and Resilience, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)) a leading expert on groundwater governance. In her presentation titled “Groundwater Governance: Knowledge, Motivation, and Agency,” she reflected on the global challenges of managing groundwater as a common-pool resource. Groundwater, unlike surface water, is often invisible, making it more difficult to govern effectively.
Dr. Meinzen-Dick introduced the Groundwater Governance Toolbox developed by IFPRI and used under the NEXUS Gains initiative, emphasizing that successful governance starts with understanding the key actors involved. It is essential to assess their knowledge of groundwater conditions, their motivation to address these issues, and the mechanisms available for taking action. She highlighted that many policies focus on extrinsic motivations, such as regulations or economic incentives, but intrinsic motivations.
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