With global warming accelerating and Pakistan projected to slip into absolute water scarcity by 2035, the nation has unveiled its first drought action plan to tackle the burgeoning water crisis. Speaking at a national consultative workshop on the National Drought Action Plan (NDAP) last week, the federal secretary for climate change and environmental coordination said that the plan had been developed with support from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The plan is structured around key pillars including planning and resource mobilisation, governance and policy, early warning systems, local mitigation actions and capacity building. The secretary also highlighted the need to move away from the reactive approach of the past and towards a proactive, risk-based approach to drought management, warning that climate change is making droughts more frequent and severe. The imperative for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach was also stressed, given the cross-sectoral nature of the drought challenge. This is a need that probably applies to Pakistan’s approach to environmental crises and natural disasters in general. For far too long, Pakistan has waited for disaster to strike or for environmental problems to fester before taking action. The reactive approach can mitigate the damage caused by specific droughts and other such disasters, but it cannot tackle the growing frequency of these issues and their cumulative impact on the country.
This is something the nation’s history with droughts amply illustrates. According to the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the 1998-2002 drought remains the most severe in the country’s recorded history, impacting an estimated three million people. Over a decade later in 2018-2019, droughts in Balochistan and Sindh resulted in large-scale crop loss and displacement. Just five years later, more than 80 per cent of the nation suffered due to the mild drought in 2023 and 2024 only brought temporary relief. As we can see, the droughts seem to be occurring more frequently and their reoccurrence shows that underlying issues are not being dealt with. The fact that the nations per-capita water availability has declined since the 1998-2002 drought shows that appropriate and effective adaptation measures have not been taken. This is what the NDAP seeks to, and must, change.
While the overall operational framework for the plan is yet to be finalised, the proposals reportedly include the establishment of a National Drought Management Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee. It is encouraging to see the government taking the broad-based approach required to deal with the drought problem. Implementation is the key factor that many of our national policies seem to miss and it is hoped this shortcoming will not be repeated here. Over-centralisation could be another potential risk. Pakistan’s diversity is also mirrored in its environmental and climate profile, with the mountains and glaciers of Gilgit-Baltistan suffering from the same problems as the mangroves of Sindh, but likely requiring different and more locally tailored solutions. Any national strategy should not lose sight of this and must ensure that different provinces and districts follow the same plan while implementing solutions that work for them. The ultimate goal is to improve the nation’s resilience to drought and to ensure its people, farms and industries have the water they need.
