ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has officially entered the water scarcity phase, with per capita water availability falling below the critical threshold of 1,000 cubic meters, signaling a deepening national water crisis.
A report submitted by the Ministry of Water Resources Pakistan to the National Assembly revealed that annual per capita water availability has steadily declined over the decades from 5,260 cubic meters in 1951 to 948 cubic meters in 2023, and further down to 899 cubic meters in 2025. Any figure below 1,000 cubic meters per person is classified as water scarcity according to international standards.
Rapid population growth is a major driver of the decline. The country’s population stood at 241.49 million in 2023 and is projected to reach 254.79 million by 2025, placing additional pressure on already limited water resources.
To address the crisis, the federal government has prioritized the construction of new water reservoirs under the Public Sector Development Programme. Currently, 18 dam projects of varying sizes are underway with a total estimated investment of Rs1,036.069 billion. Once completed, these projects are expected to add around 8.2 million acre-feet of water storage and bring 346,447 acres of additional land under irrigation.
The Diamer Bhasha Dam Project alone is projected to store 6.4 million acre-feet of water, significantly boosting the irrigation capacity of 45 million acres within the Indus Basin Irrigation System and providing a critical buffer against future water shortages.
This report underscores the urgent need for sustainable water management strategies as Pakistan grapples with a worsening scarcity crisis.
