Pakistan Affairs Model Answer – Water Scarcity in Pakistan: Causes, Impacts, and Way Forward

This is an original model answer for a Pakistan Affairs question. It is not an FPSC official answer, and this site is not affiliated with FPSC. Subject: Pakistan Affairs (Compulsory, 100 marks) / Current Affairs crossover. Question type: 20-mark subjective question. Time: ~35–40 minutes. Length: 900–1,100 words + outline. This question rewards structure: scale → causes (supply + demand) → impacts (sector by sector) → measures (short + long term). Do not write a generic “save water” essay. Do not memorise word-for-word. Learn structure, mechanisms, and evaluation, then write in your own words under timed conditions. Do not cite a precise statistic as current — water figures vary by source/date. Use mechanisms and “as reported” qualifications.

Question: “Water scarcity is a looming crisis for Pakistan.” Discuss the causes, impacts, and measures to address water scarcity in Pakistan.

Outline: 1. Introduction — thesis: water scarcity is not just a natural crisis, it is a governance crisis (supply, demand, wastage). 2. Scale — water-stressed, per-capita declining, agriculture-dependent. 3. Causes — 5: climate/glaciers, population/urbanisation, agriculture/wastage, storage/governance, transboundary (IWT). 4. Impacts — 5: agriculture/food, health, industry/energy, urban, conflict. 5. Measures — 5: storage, efficiency, pricing/governance, diplomacy, conservation. 6. Conclusion — restate thesis.

Model Answer

Introduction

Pakistan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, as reported by international assessments. Per-capita water availability has fallen over decades as population has grown, while storage capacity has not kept pace. Agriculture — which employs a large share of the workforce and feeds the country — depends on the Indus river system. This answer argues that water scarcity in Pakistan is not just a natural crisis (climate, glaciers) — it is a governance crisis (wastage, storage, pricing, transboundary management). The causes are supply and demand; the impacts hit agriculture, health, industry, and cities; the solution is storage, efficiency, governance, diplomacy, and conservation — together, not alone.

Scale of the Crisis

Pakistan’s water system is the Indus river system — the Indus and its tributaries (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej). The Indus Waters Treaty (1960) divided the rivers between India and Pakistan (see IWT model answer). Pakistan depends on the Indus for irrigation, drinking, industry, and hydropower. As population has grown, per-capita water availability has fallen. Climate change is shifting rainfall and glacier melt. Storage capacity is limited — Pakistan can store only a small fraction of its annual river flow, as reported, so flood water is lost in wet years and shortage hits in dry years. Water scarcity is not a future threat — it is a present reality, especially in Balochistan, Sindh, and urban centres.

Causes

1. Climate change and glacier melt. Pakistan’s rivers are fed by Himalayan glaciers and monsoon rainfall. Climate change is causing erratic rainfall (floods and droughts), faster glacier melt (more water now, less later), and higher temperatures (more evaporation). The 2022 floods showed too much water; drought years show too little. Climate change does not just reduce water — it makes it unpredictable. 2. Population and urbanisation. Pakistan’s population has grown rapidly. More people means more drinking water, more food (more irrigation), more industry, and more urban demand. Cities (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad) face acute water shortages, tanker mafias, and groundwater depletion. Demand has grown faster than supply. 3. Agriculture and wastage. Agriculture uses the bulk of Pakistan’s water, as reported. Flood irrigation (flooding fields) wastes water. Watercourses are unlined, so water seeps away. Crops like sugarcane and rice are water-intensive, yet grown in water-stressed areas. Farmers pay little for water, so there is no incentive to save. Wastage, not just shortage, is the problem. 4. Storage and governance. Pakistan has limited storage capacity. Dams (Tarbela, Mangla, Diamer-Basha) store water, but new dams are delayed by politics, funding, and provincial disputes. Water governance is fragmented — federal vs provincial, irrigation vs water supply, agriculture vs environment. The Water Apportionment Accord (1991) divided water among provinces, but disputes remain (e.g., Sindh–Punjab). Governance failure, not just natural scarcity, is a cause. 5. Transboundary (IWT). The Indus Waters Treaty (1960) gives Pakistan the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) and India the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej), with India allowed limited use of western rivers. Pakistan fears India may build dams / divert water on western rivers, reducing flows. India fears Pakistan wastes water. The Treaty has survived wars, but it is strained by climate, population, and mistrust. Transboundary management is a cause, not just a diplomatic issue.

Impacts

1. Agriculture and food security. Water shortage reduces crop yields (wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane). Farmers face lower incomes, debt, and migration. Food prices rise. Water scarcity threatens food security — Pakistan, an agricultural country, may face food shortages if water is not managed. 2. Health. Water shortage means unsafe drinking water (contaminated, saline, arsenic in some areas). Water-borne diseases (diarrhoea, cholera, hepatitis) are common. Women and children bear the burden of fetching water. Health impacts are a direct human cost. 3. Industry and energy. Industry needs water (textiles, sugar, beverages). Shortage raises costs and reduces output. Hydropower depends on river flows — low flows mean load-shedding (see Energy model answer). Water scarcity hits the economy, not just farms. 4. Urban. Cities face water shortages, groundwater depletion (water table falling), and tanker mafias. Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta face acute shortages. Urban water scarcity fuels protests, crime, and migration. 5. Conflict. Water scarcity fuels conflict: provincial disputes (Sindh–Punjab), farmer vs farmer, city vs countryside, and Pakistan–India (IWT). Water is not just a resource — it is a source of conflict if not managed.

Measures / Way Forward

1. Storage. Build storage — dams (Diamer-Basha, Mohmand) and small dams, with provincial consensus and transparent funding. Storage smooths floods and droughts. Do not present dams as the only solution — they are necessary, not sufficient. 2. Efficiency. Shift from flood irrigation to drip and sprinkler irrigation. Line watercourses. Promote water-efficient crops (less sugarcane/rice in stressed areas, more pulses/oilseeds). Use technology (laser levelling, drip) to save water. 3. Pricing and governance. Price water to reflect scarcity (with protection for poor farmers). Reform water governance — one authority, clear allocation, enforcement. Implement the Water Policy (2018) and provincial water acts. Governance, not just engineering, is the solution. 4. Diplomacy. Strengthen the Indus Waters Treaty — use the Permanent Indus Commission, share data, resolve disputes through the Treaty’s mechanisms (see IWT model answer). Climate change requires joint management, not just legal compliance. 5. Conservation. Promote conservation — rainwater harvesting, wastewater recycling, groundwater recharge, public awareness. Cities must recycle wastewater. Households must save water. Conservation is the cheapest source of water.

Conclusion

Water scarcity in Pakistan is not just a natural crisis — it is a governance crisis. Climate, population, agriculture, storage, and transboundary factors all contribute. The impacts hit agriculture, health, industry, cities, and conflict. The way forward is storage, efficiency, pricing/governance, diplomacy, and conservation — together, not alone. Water is Pakistan’s lifeline. If Pakistan does not manage it, scarcity will become catastrophe. If Pakistan does manage it, water can be a source of prosperity, not conflict. The choice is governance.

Examiner Tips

Gets marks: Clear thesis, returned to in conclusion. Causes in two groups (supply + demand). Impacts sector by sector (agriculture, health, industry, urban, conflict). Measures in short + long term (storage, efficiency, governance, diplomacy, conservation). IWT link (see IWT model answer). No invented precise figures. Loses marks: Generic “save water” essay with no causes or no measures. “Dams are the only solution” — one-sided. No IWT, or IWT with no analysis. Partisan claims about provinces / governments / dams. Inventing figures (per-capita, storage, wastage %) that vary by source/date. No outline, no conclusion, or conclusion contradicting introduction. Confusing water scarcity (demand > supply) with drought (low rainfall).

Data Bank

System: Indus river system (Indus + Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej). Treaties/accords: Indus Waters Treaty (1960), Water Apportionment Accord (1991), National Water Policy (2018). Dams: Tarbela, Mangla, Diamer-Basha (under construction, as reported), Mohmand. Concepts: Water stress / scarcity, per-capita availability, flood irrigation, drip irrigation, groundwater depletion, watercourse lining, rainwater harvesting. Caution: Do not cite a precise per-capita figure, storage figure, or wastage % as current — these vary by source/date. Use mechanisms and “as reported” qualifications.

This is an original model answer written for csspastpapers.pk. It is not an FPSC official answer, and this site is not affiliated with FPSC.

See also:

Pakistan Affairs past papers | Current Affairs past papers | CSS syllabus | IWT model answer | Climate model answer | Energy model answer