While parts of the world are routinely submerged in torrential rains and devastating floods, there are — according to a joint report by UNICEF and WHO — at least 2.1 billion people globally without access to safe drinking water. To call this solely a natural depletion of resources would be unfair. What it is, instead, is a systematic deflection of basic human necessities from large populations who are inundated with economic worries and lack of power. Pakistanis themselves are victims of such corrupt structures, with over 60 per cent of people lacking access to safe water; the essential resource being only a faint hope for many.
The reality of the water crisis being exacerbated by unequal power structures is shown through its disproportional impact on certain communities. According to the report, “people living in low-income countries, fragile contexts, rural communities, children, and minority ethnic and indigenous groups face the greatest disparities.”
This is true for Pakistan as well, where most rural areas — according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics — do not have access to sufficient potable water, despite major rivers and canals. The problem is not solved itself in urban areas, where 57 per cent of the population is facing water scarcity — and it is projected to increase by 4 per cent in the next 25 years.
While the report cited global improvement throughout the years — with 961 million people having gained access to potable water since 2015 — Pakistan is not just failing to catch up but is rather regressing. Coverage for the least basic drinking water in urban areas has declined from 94 per cent to 93 per cent.
By 2030, Pakistan’s population is projected to increase by 14 million. If both climate change and mismanagement of water resources persist, without active efforts to curb them, public health is poised for a further worsened crisis.
