POLICY PRESCRIPTION & IMPLEMENTATION

 

 

Core Issues

 

At present there is no comprehensive water policy, Policies that are in vogue, are derived largely from the laws that had been promulgated for specific matters relating to water use and which are not necessarily inter-related. Policy prescriptions have been laid down from time to time for some aspects relating to water. In this disjointed policy framework recognition of and coherence to fundamental principal is lacking. Moreover all the policies have been imposed without involving those who may be affected by them. As a result disputes pertaining to water use its development have continue and continue to impact on future development and inefficiencies in water use are being perpetrated.

 

 

Core Objectives

 

 

The core objective is to develop, with the broadest consensus, a comprehensive Water Policy which would lead to sustainable and the most effective utilization and conservation of all the available water resources for the benefit of all the people of the country.

 

 

Strategies

 

 

For evolving the comprehensive Water Policy while involving those who would be affected by it the following strategies are proposed:-

 

• Fostering the formulation of "water users groups" by the concerned organizations at different levels.
• Information dissemination to the "water users groups" on the present policy (and laws) and their implications.
• Studies, on all policy elements, which should be covered by the comprehensive policy and discussion thereon by the concerned water users and the interacting agencies (studies under the NDP are a step in the right directions).
• Drafting of Draft Policy and nation wide deliberation thereon.

Proposed Action

The Federal Government through the Planning Division, should initiate the process of policy formulation, actively involving the Provincial Governments and other stakeholders so that the policy could be adopted in a period of 3 years.

The process of policy formulation should be taken up connectivity with a review of the existing laws so as to define the legal framework which should be put in place to give affect to the policy.

 

 

 





STRATEGIES

 

 

Mobilizing political will and commitment for good governance at the highest level as the key for sustainable and efficient management of the water sector. As such the principal strategy will be to secure the participation and commitment of our political leaders.

 

 

Proposed Action

 

 

Secure the commitment  of the political leadership and government line agencies to the objectives through a program of awareness raising, information dissemination, system of rewards and punishments.



GOVERNANCE

 

The and planning machinery of the public sector in Pakistan is highly centralized. Similarly, the water sector is characterized by centralized decision-making in terms of all major decisions regarding the fixing of water rates, collection and assessment system, operation and maintenance, etc. The centralized system of decision-making was fueled by the failure of the government to invest in local level institutions and emerging problems. The local institutions were unable to fill the void that existed at the grass roots level. In the early 1990s there was a realization that the state system had failed on several accounts. The limited resources available to the public sector also indicated the extent to which the State had over committed itself. The record of both economic and political governance in Pakistan was poor and under successive regimes it has become even weaker. The governance of the water sector in symptomatic of this poor record in governance. Pakistan today stands at the threshold of a crisis in the water sector perpetuated by this failure to govern effectively.

 

Core Challenges/Issues

 

How do we ensure that the interests of those who are governed are served and protected by those who govern.

 

How do we ensure that the powers, instruments and tools of governance which are placed at the disposal of those who govern will not be misused and will be used to serve the national interest and protect the rights of the citizens.

 

How do we develop and manage our water resources in a more effective and intelligent manner in the face of competing demand.

 

How do we make the distribution of our water resources equitable.

 

How do we make the investments in the physical infrastructure for water sustainable.

 

How do we put in place effective and impartial mechanisms for conflict resolution acceptable to all parties.

 

Core Objectives

 

To have a vibrant civil society in which the NGOs, private sector, local communities and other representative of civil society actively collaborate to achieve the overall objectives of sustainable development in the country and in which the government will facilitate the process of negotiation and consensus building through an appropriate policy framework and from direct intervention to providing appropriate market signals.

 

To ensure that the interests of those who are governed are served and protected by those who govern.

 

To ensure that the powers, instruments and tools of governance which are placed at the disposal of those who govern are not be misused and will be used to serve the national interest and protect the rights of the citizens.

OVERARCHING ELEMENTS

 

The Pakistan Water Vision has as its overall objective the attainment of a status in which water resources development and management is integrated and sustainable. For this purpose the formulation of FFA provides the opportunity of putting into practice the accepted principles of integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the concept to managing water at the basin level.

 

 

IWRM does not merely represent the integration of the different uses that are made of water (irrigation, drinking water, industrial use, the ecological function of water etc.) to take account of the way they influence each other. It is a concept that is much broder and which aims at establishing a sound basis for sustainable water use taking into consideration all the social and economic factors -- Governance Institutions, Management Instruments,  Financial aspects, Technologies, Research requirements, Capacity Building and Participation of all section of the society including women or Mainstreaming of Gender.

 

While for all water related activities, at the sectoral or sub-sectoral level, a holistic approach is required with full cognizance of IWRM, there is a need for an "Umbrella" under which these activities are pursued and which provides the guiding beacon. This aspect has been treated here, as the overarching elements, confined to those elements which are most relevant.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS

Water Quality

Safe water will be available for consumption by all households, the quality of streams and rivers will be restored and the risk of contamination of water will be minimized by appropriate action. There will be amendment in the Water Act to incorporate the requirements for safe drinking water. The National Planning Action for Drinking Water Quality with National Drinking Water Quality Standards and Surveillance and Monitoring System will be fully in force. The formulation and enforcement of NEQS will be undertaken in a participatory, process. Trained institutional capacity for monitoring water quality on an on-going basis with capacity for enforcement. NGOs and other civil society organizations will paly an important role for consumers and farmers by raising awareness and monitoring the issues of water quality. 

 

Salt Balance

 

There is about 33 million tons of salt in the Indus River System of which only 8 million is discharged in the sea. The rest is retained in the soil. There will be appropriate investments in strategies that maintain the natural salt balance of the land and water resources. The salt balance in the soils will be such that the natural carrying capacity of the land will not be negatively impacted by excess salts.

 

Sedimentation Disposal

 

Most of the Indus Basin has been formed as a result of alluvial deposits brought by rivers from the mountainous ranges in the north. The Indus River carries 500 million tons of sediments on an annual basis. This silt has to be disposed off somewhere. It erodes the storage capacity of the reservoirs and the cost of removing it is prohibitive. A strategy will have been evolved for the effective disposal and the technical and financial capacity to implement the strategy will be available.

 

Drainage

 

A sustainable drainage policy and strategy will be developed with adequate resources available to invest in drainage and move towards the resolution of the problems of water-logging and salinity in Pakistan. Coordination and linkage between the irrigation and drainage functions will have been accomplished. There will be agreement on the amount of water that has to be drained to the sea keeping in mind the requirements of the lower riparian and costal areas, fisheries and mangrove forests.

 

Watersheds

 

The development and management of watersheds will be an integral part of Pakistan's investment plans. A national fund for watershed management will have been established with contribution from all provinces for the development of the upland areas.

 

Energy Use

 

The vision for the future is a hybrid system of energy supply in which indigenous, localized and renewable energy will be the main source of energy.

 

 

Sustainability

Cost Recovery

To have a system of cost recovery in place this pays for itself. The abiana is assessed and levied in a transparent and accountable manner and all costs are recovered and the system not only pays for itself but generates surplus revenue.

Water Pricing Policy

There will be a complete transformation from the existing situation in which all out institutions are based on the premise of affluent water. Water pricing policy will be in place which regulates not only the supply of water but its usage and leads to the efficient use of water. Institutional reform will have been undertaken which will lead to a mechanism for re-allocation based on value and availability of water.

Economic Growth & Development

Food Self Sufficiency

To attain self-sufficiency in production of food grains and generate exportable surpluses through optimal utilization, development and effective management of our water resources. Complete synergy in our use of our basic endowments and the successful implementation of an agriculture master plan designed to conserve Pakistan’s land and water resources. Complete modernization and up-gradation of our agriculture infrastructure. Production of high value crops and a complete shift in our traditional agricultural production practices. Increasing water productivity and developing rive rain, barani, desert, semi-desert and culturable waste lands, promotion of bio-saline framing and establishing agro-marketing service centers. Reconsideration our current cropping economic and trade regimes which are beneficial for the country.

Water Supply and Sanitation Coverage

To provide 100% coverage of safe water supply and sanitation to all householders in urban and rural areas with environmentally safe drainage and disposal services.

Conservation & Efficiency of Use

To have minimized the conveyance losses in the irrigation system, adopted efficient irrigation practices and moved to more efficient use of water through Changes. In the cropping patter, complete control and regulation of the water flow in the irrigation.

Development of Water Resources

To rehabilitate and invest in the existing system and have developed additional surface and groundwater resources and use of local water harvesting technologies like check dams, reservoirs, harnessing of hill torrents and other locally viable options to increase our water resources, specially for areas with lack of water resources.

Hydropower Development

National consensus in the development of hydropower of use as surface reservoir, irrigation and power generation.

Research & Technology Development

Development of the scientific and technological capacity in the country to make use of new developments in the area of energy use, desalinization of water, etc. capacity to network and keep abreast of development in other parts of the world is established and applied research is an essential component in each project.  

Pakistan’s Vision Statement

The components of Pakistan’s Vision Statement, as contained in the Country Report, and which would impact on the formulation of the FFA are brought out below:

Policy & Institutional Issues

Integration of Water Sector

Pakistan in 2025 envisages a complete transformation of the water sector into an integrated sector with complete co-ordination and link between the various departments and agencies working in the sector and availability of institution that addresses the problem of irrigated agriculture and interacts with farmers. There is expected to be integrated water resource management not through massive investments but through networking and reinforcing a networking idea among partners and through integrated planning which looks upon the basin as a unit.

Governance

As a part of good governance, Pakistan’s vision for the future is to have a government which acts as a catalyst and as a facilitator for the Private sector, local communities and representatives of civil society to achieve the overall objectives of sustainable development in the country. The government will facilitate the process through an appropriate policy framework and transform its role from “allocative planning to indicative planning” and from “directs intervention to market signals”. The quality and quantity of human endeavor will be the key to good governance.

Policy Forums for Discussion & Debate

Pakistan’s vision includes the existence of institutional forums where policy issues are discussed and debated and policy alternatives are considered with full knowledge and maturity. The political leadership of the country allows for open and accountable decision making.

Participation of Stakeholders

To have a water sector which is planned and managed through full participation of the stakeholders? In this vision, farmer’s institutions will be strengthened and farmers capacity for improved farming practices will be enhanced. The Planning Commission would act simply as a knowledge harnessing institution and there will be full participation of civil society in bringing in institutional reforms in the sector. Strong and will trained water user association and their federations will be empowered to take decisions which affect them.

Equity

Equity consideration will be incorporated in the allocation and distribution of water at all levels. These equity considerations will include the allocation of water between the provinces, between head and tail users, between different seasons and for different crops, etc.

Information Availability

Decision-making in the water sector will be based on accurate and timely information which is properly communicated and shared with all stakeholders. Real time data will be available on water flows at each diversion point along the Indus River System and this information will be shared with all users. Advance information on floods and other disasters like water-logging and salinity will be available and an early warning system will be in place to minimize the effect of natural disasters.

Conflict Resolution

There will be institutions and mechanisms in place with the capacity to effectively mediate and resolve water conflicts at the local, regional, national and international level.