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In parts of Pakistan’s largest cities today, it is not unusual to see women and young girls standing in queues with buckets and jerry cans, waiting for water tankers or the brief trickle that may reach their homes after days – sometimes weeks – of absence. In rural communities, installing a simple water pump can still be considered a milestone achievement. These images are snapshots of life in one of the world’s most water-stressed countries. Ranked among the top 15 nations facing severe water stress, Pakistan confronts a crisis that is as much about inequality as it is about scarcity. This year’s World Water Day, observed on March 22 under the theme ‘Where water flows, equality grows’, drew attention to an often-overlooked reality: access to water is deeply uneven – and the burden of this inequality falls disproportionately on women and girls. In countless communities, it is women who wake before dawn to fetch water, walking long distances while carrying heavy containers. Hours that could be spent in school, at work or at rest are instead lost to the daily struggle for survival.
In Pakistan, where women are often responsible for both water provision and childcare, shortages have cascading consequences for entire households. The lack of safe and reliable water does not only mean thirst or inconvenience; it translates into compromised hygiene, increased disease and heightened vulnerability during heatwaves and disasters. Recognising this, the UN has rightly emphasised the need for women’s participation in the design and management of water services. Evidence from around the world shows that when women are involved in water governance, systems are more efficient, equitable and durable. Yet gender inequality is only one dimension of Pakistan’s mounting water emergency. Climate change is accelerating the crisis at an alarming pace. Despite contributing only a small fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan ranks among the countries most vulnerable to climate impacts. Repeated heatwaves have intensified evaporation, shrinking reservoirs and reducing dam capacity. At the same time, the rapid melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region – which supplies the majority of the Indus River’s flow – threatens both floods in the short term and severe water shortages in the long run.
The Indus system remains Pakistan’s lifeline, sustaining agriculture, industry and domestic consumption. But mismanagement has compounded natural pressures. Ageing infrastructure, water theft, inefficient irrigation practices and unchecked urban expansion continue to waste vast quantities of freshwater. Without urgent reform, declining availability will deepen economic fragility, worsen food insecurity and intensify social tensions. Global developments also cast a long shadow over water security. The expansion of energy-intensive technologies such as AI is expected to dramatically increase global water consumption in the coming years. Meanwhile, conflicts across regions highlight how warfare can devastate natural resources. Damage to oil and industrial facilities risks contaminating water systems, with toxins travelling far beyond national borders. For Pakistan, the challenge is therefore twofold: to address structural inequalities in access while safeguarding dwindling resources in an increasingly volatile world. This demands a comprehensive approach – investing in modern water storage and conservation systems, promoting climate-resilient agriculture, strengthening urban planning and ensuring that women and marginalised communities are included in decision-making. Public awareness and behavioural change are equally essential. From household conservation to national policy, every level of society must recognise that water security is inseparable from economic stability and human dignity.
