Vanishing water

Naseer Memon

December 13, 2025 

DAWN

PLUMMETING stocks of freshwater have emerged as a global challenge. A recently released World Bank report, Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future, has revealed that global freshwater reserves have declined by three per cent of the average annual freshwater supply. The situation is grimmer in dry regions where the depletion is a staggering 10pc of annual replenishment. This imbalance of the freshwater cycle means appalling consequences.

The report puts the net annual loss of global freshwater at 324 billion cubic metres, which is sufficient to meet the annual needs of 280 million people. In the midst of this worrying decline in freshwater availability, water consumption is increasing, thus aggravating the disequilibrium. Between 2000 and 2019, water consumption increased by 25pc. One-third of this additional consumption occurred in dry regions. This growing demand of water is attributed to a swelling population and irresponsible consumption.

Globally, the agriculture sector accounts for 98pc of people’s use of water. The sector is a major source of wasteful water consumption thanks to inefficient farming practices, water-thirsty crops and an archaic infrastructure particularly in the dry regions. Pakistan has been bracketed with Algeria, Cambodia, Mexico, Thailand, Tunisia, and Romania among the dry countries with the highest share of inefficient agricultural water consumption.

Large amounts of water are used for tradable commodities at the expense of local needs. In 2019, approximately 25pc of global water was allocated for export products rather than domestic use. The phenomenon is called ‘virtual water trade’, involving water-intensive products such as cereals, apparel, nutritious forage and dairy products, which carry ‘hidden’ water.


Pakistan’s water security is prone to multiple risks.

The states of California, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada in the US are among the largest producers of alfalfa, a major forage crop for livestock. These states exported 2.8m tonnes of alfalfa, mostly to China in 2022. They consumed approximately two million acre feet of water to grow alfalfa. Australia and Spain are among the large virtual water-trading countries exporting agricultural products. Australia annually exports about 35,000 gallons of virtual water.

Pakistan has also been aspiring to bring large swaths of land under corporate farming in the Cholistan desert. Under the Green Pakistan Initiative, the project aims to attract large-scale investment in the agriculture and livestock sectors from Arab countries. A chronically inefficient water sector is barely able to meet local farm needs and a growing urban population. The proposition has met with bitter resistance from the water-scarce lower riparians that endure frequent water shortages.

Pakistan’s water security is prone to multiple climate- and human-induced risks. The country is ranked as fifth amongst the 23 most water-insecure countries in the world. Our glaciers are retreating and rainfall is scant and unreliable. Ageing infrastructure and arid climate results in 60pc conveyance losses and farm wastage. Out of 143 billion cubic metres of water available at the canal head, only 55 BCM is gainfully utilised for crops. More than 80pc of Pakistan’s water is consumed by rice, wheat, sugarcane and cotton. However, these four major crops contribute only 5pc to GDP.

Amid expanding unmet local needs, colossal volumes of water are traded virtually through Pakistan’s textile sector. Between 2020 and 2021, Pakistan produced a billion square metres of fabric. Dyeing processes for such production guzzles up to 200 tonnes of water per tonne of fabric — the quantity is enough to meet the daily water needs of over 1,000 people. In 2017, Pakistan was ranked the eighth lowest in the world on returns of water, generating only $1.4 per cubic metre of water. In contrast, Malaysia, Korea, China and Turkiye earned $55, $52.4, $21 and $13.6 per cubic metre respectively.

Pakistan need to focus on improving water productivity without resorting to controversial new dams and canals. According to a report by the Zarai Taraqiati Bank, Pakistan produced 2,868 kilograms per hectare (1,160 kg per acre) of wheat compared to 3,431 kg by India and 5,742 kg by China. Similarly, Pakistan produces 2,563 kg per hectare of rice compared to 3,962 kg by India and 4,809 kg by Bangladesh. Cotton, the key ingredient of textiles, depicts a similar pattern where Pakistan harvests 753 kg per hectare as against 1,378 kg by India and 4,937 kg by Turkiye.

Our unregulated supply-driven water consumption also allows groundwater abstraction at unsustainable proportions. Both surface and subsoil water resources are dwindling at a precarious rate that needs to be arrested immediately to avert a very serious water crisis.

The writer is a civil society professional.

nmemon2004@yahoo.com

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2025