ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is facing shortage of water while scarcity is increasing with a fast pace therefore the government should take steps to tackle the threat, a business leader said.
Continued fall in availability of water is taking toll on masses, industry and agriculture but policymakers seem indifferent, said ICCI former president Atif Ikram Sheikh. He said, “Water scarcity is a bigger threat to our security than militancy as the country may run dry by 2025 resulting in violent conflicts in the country.” He said that the country may face drought-like situation in the near future if immediate and urgent steps were not taken that include containing wastage of water. Sheikh said, “It is very alarming that our capacity to preserve water has shrunk over the years while we have world’s fourth highest rate of water use.” IMF has already declared Pakistan as the third most water-stressed country in the world while the economic impact of the water crisis would be immense, he added.
