Moderator: Dr. Javaid Afzal Moderator LEAD Fellow Cohort 7 Environment Specialist, World Bank

Transcription

1 Session: World Café 25 th July 2011 Managing Water Resources in the Changing Climate Serena Hotel, Islamabad Moderator: Dr. Javaid Afzal Moderator LEAD Fellow Cohort 7 Environment Specialist, World Bank Panelists/Presentations: Syed Jamiat Ali Shah, Former Commissioner Indus Water Treaty Syed Ayub Qutub- Executive Director- Pakistan Institute for Environment- Development Action Research (PIEDAR) Khalid Mohtadllah - Former member Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) The discussion started with the presentation on history and implementation of the Indus basin water treaty 1960 by Jamiat Ali Shah. He spoke about the historical background of the Indus water treaty and the claim of water according to the treaty: - Pakistan s Claim Existing (Historical) uses to be sacrosanct Excess water could be divided according to area and population etc. The principle had support of several treaties - India s Claim Upper riparian has an absolute right Lower riparian can only get it under an agreement or treaty - The Indus Water Treaty was signed at Karachi on September 19, It consists of 12 articles and 8 appendices. According to the treaty: - Pakistan shall receive for unrestricted use all waters of Western Rivers and India shall not interfere with the waters of Western Rivers except for following uses: (a) Domestic Use (b) Non-Consumptive use (c) Agricultural Use (limited) (d) Generation of Hydro-electric Power (e) Storage Works (limited) - All the water of the Eastern Rivers is available for the unrestricted use of India. Pakistan is allowed limited Agriculture Use of 45,500 Acres from tributaries of river Ravi namely Basantar, Bein, Tarnah and Ujh. - After the completion of Indus Basin Replacement Plan Works each country became independent for planning, construction and administration of its own facilities. -Merits of Indus Water Basin Treaty for Pakistan: 80% of the total water is produced during the monsoon period July-September. With the storage of monsoon waters in the reservoirs of Tarbela Dam and Mangla Dam, waters availability in winter has been assured during lean periods.

2 -De-merits of Indus Water Basin Treaty for Paksitan: The traditional flood irrigation in the flood plains of rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi has disappeared. Due to siltation of channels, the flood causes great havoc in addition to other environmental degradation. - The up-keep of the new link canals and storages is very expensive. Besides, storages are not substituted to the perpetual flow of water as the storages have limited life. - Violations by India: Kishanganga Project India is allowed to construct storage works up to 0.75 Million Acre Feet (MAF) on the tributaries of river Jhelum the Treaty. India accordingly supplied information about Kishenganga Storage-cum-Hydroelectric Project to Pakistan in June, The Kishenganga Project envisages construction of concrete gravity dam on river Neelum. The diversion of flow from one Tributary to another Tributary (river Neelum to Madmati Nallah of river Jhelum) as proposed by India was likely to harm Pakistan s power potential and agriculture. Pakistan raised objections on the diversion of flow and design of the dam/spillway. The matter was taken up with India through correspondence and meetings of the Commission. Currently this problem is under arbitration. The Salal Hydro Electric Project: The first important issue that arose between India and Pakistan and was successfully resolved by the treaty is the Indian project of Salal Hydroelectric plant on the Chenab River. After protracted negotiations and discussions between the commissioners of the two countries and also at the level of foreign secretaries for about four years (December 1974 April 1978), the matter was amicably resolved. Pakistan agreed to the terms and an agreement known as Salal Agreement was signed at New Delhi on 14 April Wullar Barrage: Also known as the Talbul Navigation Project. This is the most controversial water project of India on river Jhelum. According to Indian Government the purpose of Barrage was to construct a control structure to improve navigation in Jhelum River during winters for transportation of fruit and timber between Srinagar and Baramula. Pakistan argues that this project is a major breach to article and India may undertake its construction only after design has been approved by India has not abandoned the project but the work on the barrage is presently suspended. -Baghlair Dam which lead to the reduction in flow of River Chenab. The matter was resolved at the level of Commission in May/June Future of the Treaty India s Perspective: During the recent couple of years, a persistent campaign has been launched from the Indian side for the scrapping of the Indus water treaty. Throughout the print and electronic media of India, technical assessments and statements from high government officials to revise or terminate the treaty are widely published. The main concern in India is that the Indus water treaty does not address the irrigation and power generation needs. - Pakistan s Prespective:

3 Technically, unilateral abrogation/modification or suspension of the treaty by India would amount to a breach of the treaty provisions. Pakistan has ruled out complete withdrawal from the treaty, calling to resolve the dispute amicably by making suitable changes in the design of hydro power projects without seriously disadvantaging Pakistan. The water issue between India and Pakistan can only be solved if there is political will on both sides - Syed Jamiat Ali Shah. - The next presentation was by Syed Ayub Qutub- Executive Director- Pakistan Institute for Environment-Development Action Research (PIEDAR) on Water Supply & Sanitation in a Changing Climate. His presentation focused on water and sanitation polices in Pakistan. The salient points of his discussion were: - Pakistan is committed to achieving MDGs - Goal 4 is for Reducing Child Mortality; - Goal 7 for Environmental Sustainability. Specific targets for these MDGS are: - Target 5: Reduce the Under-Five Mortality Rate in 1990 by twothirds; - Target 10: Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by According to world statistics, the situation in Pakistan is quite alarming. Around 95% of urban and 87% of rural Pakistanis have access to improved drinking water supplies (JMP, Progress Report 2008)Less than 1% of households have water source more than 0.5 km away (PSLM ). But 80% of samples unfit for drinking owing to microbiological contamination (PCRWR, Water Quality Status, ). -Pakistan currently only spends 0.25 percent of GDP on water supply and sanitation. It needs to increase water sector investments to at least 1 percent of GDP and also must focus on tariff reform, increased wastewater treatment capacity, greater water conservation, and effective implementation of the National Water Policy. -Water Borne Diseases: The mortality rate for children under-five in Pakistan is 101 deaths per 1000 children. Water and sanitation related diseases are responsible for 60% of the total number of child mortality cases in Pakistan, with diarrheal diseases estimated at killing over 200,000 under-five years' children, every year. - Safe water alone can reduce diarrhea and other related diseases by up to 50%, but an estimated 62% of Pakistan s urban population and 84% of the rural population do not treat their water. - Poor personal hygiene habits, lack of water treatment, poor sanitation and planning is causing several diseases especially diarrhea on the rise. - Water and Sanitation Polices

4 Pakistani water sector policies were mainly focused on water resources and irrigation. This has changed with the National Drinking Water Policy (NDWP), the National Sanitation Policy (NSP) and the Clean Drinking Water for All Programme, which were prepared by the Ministry of Environment as integral parts of the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) The MTDF provides about US$2 billion (120 billion rupee) for water and sanitation schemes. In addition, a Safe Drinking Water Act will be adopted under the MTDF to ensure compliance with the Pakistan Drinking Water Quality Standards. -National Sanitation Policy of 2006 The National Sanitation Policy (NSP), approved by the federal government in 2006, promotes the grassroots concept of community-led total sanitation (CLTS) in communities with less than 1,000 inhabitants. In larger communities, the NSP promotes a "component sharing model", under which sewage and wastewater treatment facilities are provided by the communities in the case that local government developed disposal is not available. [36] The objective is the safe disposal of excreta through the use of latrines, the creation of an "open defecation free environment", safe disposal of liquid and solid waste and the promotion of health and hygiene practices. - National Drinking Water Policy (NDWP) of 2009 In September 2009 the government approved the National Drinking Water Policy that aims at providing safe drinking water to the entire Pakistani population by 2025, including the poor and vulnerable at an affordable cost. This document also recognized the role of women as the main actors of domestic water supply. The third panelist was Khalid Mohtadllah - Former member Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). The main theme of his discussion was on water conservation and water security. - Water security is the capacity of a population to ensure that they continue to have access to potable water. It is an increasing concern arising from population growth, drought, climate change, urbanization, salinity, upstream pollution, over-allocation of water licences by government agencies and over-utilization of groundwater from basins. Water security is rapidly declining in many parts of the world. Pakistan is also facing widespread water challenges. - Pakistan faces significant and widespread water challenges such as: - Inefficient irrigation. - Abysmal urban sanitation. - Catastrophic environmental degradation. - Lack of water laws to define water rights. - Lack of a sound policy on large dams.

5 - An arid country dependent on agriculture, Pakistan allocates more than 90 percent of its water resources to irrigation and other agricultural needs. Unfortunately, intensive irrigation and poor drainage practices have waterlogged and salinized the soil. - Rural women and small farmers are particularly affected by Pakistan s water crisis. Women bear the primary responsibility for obtaining water, but have been traditionally been shut out of government water-planning and decision-making processes. - Recommendations by participants during discussion: - Invest in existing infrastructure and in modest, indigenous technology. - Strike appropriate balances between centralized and decentralized management. - Devote more attention to water allocation and distribution on local/individual levels. - Understand the links between agricultural and urban water pressures. - Embrace the role of the private sector. - Conserve by favoring water-saving technology; less water-intensive crops; and water-conserving urban building design. - Address structural obstacles like systemic inequality and gender discrimination. Pakistan should take serious steps in increasing its water storage capacity. We receive 70 to 80% water in 3 months, but in the rest of the 9 months our water is not properly conserved, we need better storage capacity for water - Khalid Mohtadllah - Question and Answer Session took place at the end of the discussion. The participants asked about the role of leadership in solving the water crisis of Pakistan. The panelists reiterated that bottom-up approach is needed to solve the communal water problems of Pakistan. The communities and ordinary people need to be involved who can take responsibility and also participate in the enforcement of laws, as one cannot depend on the government. The panelists also stressed on the fact that urban city planners need to be mindful of water treatment and water sewerage process and plants. The need for immediate action cannot be overstated. While Pakistan s water crisis may not threaten its viability, it is undeniable that so long as the crisis rages on, essential components of the nation such as the vital agricultural economy, the health of the population, and political and economic stability lie very much in the balance