Pakistan has crossed the global threshold for water scarcity, with per capita availability dropping to just 733,000 liters, according to a Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) document.
The global minimum threshold for water availability is set at 1,000 cubic meters per person. The report warns that Pakistan’s water storage capacity has fallen to less than 10 percent of its annual river flow, compared to the global average of 40 percent.
The country receives 80 percent of its annual water within just four months, facing acute shortages during the remaining eight months.
Sedimentation is reducing the lifespan of existing reservoirs, while four major crops consume 75 percent of available agricultural water.
Inefficient irrigation methods and water-intensive crops are further aggravating the crisis.
The PCRWR stressed that increasing water storage is essential to avert a worsening crisis.
