Islamabad: The World Bank (WB) has asked the federal government to improve the country’s water management system, in a bid to address a ‘looming’ water crisis – a news source reported.
WB Country Director Patchamuthu Illangovan recently expressed his views on the matter. He was speaking at a forum organised by the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change in collaboration with the Jinnah Institute.
The WB representative said that Pakistan utilises 90% of its available water resources to grow five agricultural products: rice, sugarcane, cotton, wheat, and maize. These agricultural commodities contribute to at least 20% of the country’s GDP.
He further stated that water in many areas of Pakistan is not fit for human consumption due to the presence of harmful dissolved substances. Based on this observation, he stressed the need to improve the water management system spread across the country.
Moreover, he compared Pakistan’s water sector with other developing countries; remarking that a majority of these states have introduced techniques to effectively manage their water resources.
