Water is an important element of the environment. We cannot live a single day without it. It is also important for other living existence. Pure water is essential for health. But sometimes, we misuse water in different ways. For example, we keep water running when we brush teeth, wash dishes shave, wash vehicles, have a bath, etc. It is a sorrowful matter that water is polluted in a variety of ways. Men pollute water by discarding into it domestic and industrial wastes, human waste and filth, poisonous chemicals and corrosives. In Pakistan, water usage patterns show that 96% of water is used for agriculture, three percent for domestic use and one percent for industrial use. Of the total water consumed for these various purposes, 69% comes from groundwater sources. Thus, depletion of groundwater sources is occurring at an alarming rate. Chemical fertilizers and insecticides are used in the fields by the farmers. Rain and floods wash away some of these chemicals and mix, them with the water of rivers, ponds, and canals. Besides these, mills and factories throw their wastes into rivers and canals and pollute the water. Boats, steamers, launches throw oil, food and human waste into the water of rivers and canals. Oil tankers often clean out their tanks at sea and powerhouses release hot water into the river which kills fish and plants. A lot of latrines are built on the banks of rivers and canals. A number of ‘kutcha’ drains run into rivers and canals, which carry human waste and filth and let them fall into the water. The government (Pakistan) established policies and strategies such as the National Policy for Safe Water Supply (1998), National Water Policy (1999), National Policy for Arsenic Mitigation (2004) and the Water Safety Framework (2011). We can save our earth if we minimize pollution through proper management of waste. People should also be made aware of the ways and means to keep water pure and clean and not polluted.

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. The mass of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time but the partitioning of the water into the major reservoirs of ice, fresh water, saline water and atmospheric water is variable depending on a wide range of climatic variables. The water moves from one reservoir to another, such as from river to ocean, or from the ocean to the atmosphere, by the physical processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, and subsurface flow. In doing so, the water goes through different forms: liquid, solid (ice) and vapor.

The water cycle involves the exchange of energy, which leads to temperature changes. When water evaporates, it takes up energy from its surroundings and cools the environment. When it condenses, it releases energy and warms the environment. These heat exchanges influence climate.

The evaporative phase of the cycle purifies water which then replenishes the land with freshwater. The flow of liquid water and ice transports minerals across the globe. It is also involved in reshaping the geological features of the Earth, through processes including erosion and sedimentation. The water cycle is also essential for the maintenance of most life and ecosystems on the planet.

Water scarcity is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. Humanity is facing a water crisis, due to unequal distribution resulting in some very wet and some very dry geographic locations, plus a sharp rise in global freshwater demand in recent decades driven by industry.

Countries which are at High Risk of Water Scarcity

Causes of Global Water crises:

1. Global Climate Changes

Climate change is warming up the planet, making the world’s hottest geographies even more scorching. Clouds are moving away from equator towards the pole, due to climate-change driven phenomenon called Hadley Cell expansion.

2. Growing Population, Increasing Water Demand.

As population increase and income grows, so does water demand. The World’s population, now at 7.5 billion and is projected to add 2.3 billion by 2050.

3. Depletion of Ground Water

About 30% of Earth’s fresh water lays deep underground in aquifers and is extracted daily for farming, drinking and industrial processes, often at dangerously unsustainable rates.

4. Dismal State of Water Infrastructure Disrepair

Around the World, water infrastructure-treatment plants, pipes and sewer system is in a state of disrepair. On an estimate, 6-billion gallons of treated water is being lost per day due to lack of planning & infrastructure disrepair.

5. Natural Water Infrastructure is being ignored.

Plants and trees are essential for replenishing ground water. Without them rainfall will slide across dry land, instead of seeping into the soil. Loss of vegetation from deforestation, overgrazing and urbanization is limiting our natural infrastructure and the benefit that it provides.

The Crises of Water Shortage in Pakistan

Risk to Public Health, Biodiversity & Ecosystem

Pakistan is ranked third among the countries facing severe water shortage, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In May 2018, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) announced that by the end of year 2025, there will be very little or no clean water available in the Country.

Currently only 20% of the country’s population has access to clean drinking water. The remaining 80% population depends on polluted water primarily contaminated by sewerage and secondarily by fertilizers, pesticides and industrial wastes.

Pakistan is ranked third among the countries facing severe water shortage, according to the International Monetary
Fund (IMF). In May 2018, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) announced that by the end of
year 2025, there will be very little or no clean water available in the Country. Currently only 20% of the country’s population
has access to clean drinking water. The remaining 80% population depends on polluted water primarily contaminated
by sewerage and secondarily by fertilizers, pesticides and industrial wastes.