Water scarcity: A threat to food security - Daily Times

Water scarcity has emerged as a major issue in Pakistan, exacerbated by factors such as climate change, rapid population growth, deforestation and inefficient water management.Once endowed with abundant water resources, the country is facing a growing water crisis due to the non-construction of dams, and waste of irrigation water that threatens food security and the livelihoods of people.Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, and the ongoing water shortage worsened by insufficient snowfall and rainfall, has far-reaching consequences for food production.As the population continues to increase, the experts said the challenge of ensuring adequate water for agricultural needs becomes even more daunting.“Pakistan is home to one of the largest irrigation systems in the world, drawing heavily from the Indus River and its tributaries. However, the available water per capita has drastically decreased over the past few decades,” explained Sumbal Riaz, an economist, in an interview wi...