THE WAY FORWARD

Pakistan is faced with a situation that all its developed water resources are inadequate to meet the irrigation and other water requirements and without increasing the stock of water and raising its productivity there would be mounting shortfall in meeting the food and fiber requirements for the ever increasing population. Within the finite water resources that are available to the country, the scope for further development is limited, but if it is tapped to the extent feasible, then it may be possible to boost the agricultural production to meet the agricultural requirements in 2025. This would however require a massive investment of the order of US $ 25.423 Billion (Pak. Rupees 1322 Billion at 1 US$ = Rs. 52) to harness 32.30 BCM of additional water supplies and to increase the irrigated area by 11.34 million acres.

This position provides the rationale for a concerted progarmme of action whose principle elements should include:

• A massive public awareness programme of the impending disaster and securing a political commitment for the say forward. 
• Prescription of a comprehensive National Water Policy, subscribed by all stakeholders in water, encompassing all aspects of water development, its allocation, its management and conservation.
• Provision of a Legal framework for effectuating the policies and reformed ,accountable institutions for their implementation in consort with the stakeholders.
• Laying down targets for specific actions in water sub-sectors.
• Introducing a system of monitoring evaluation and feed back. 

Following the above elements, it is expected that the actions proposed in the FFA would be able to achieve the stated objectives.