Pakistan's Progress and Challenges in Achieving SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Pakistan's Progress and Challenges in Achieving SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 aims to "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all" by 2030. It recognizes the essential role of clean water and sanitation in maintaining health, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable development.
Key Points of SDG 6:
l Universal access to safe and affordable drinking water (Target 6.1):
Ensure that everyone has access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water.
l Access to adequate sanitation and hygiene (Target 6.2):
Ensure everyone has access to adequate sanitation and hygiene, paying special attention to vulnerable groups, including women and girls.
l Improve water quality by reducing pollution (Target 6.3):
Reduce water pollution by minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, reducing untreated wastewater, and substantially increasing recycling.
l Increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals (Target 6.4):
Improve the efficient use of water in all sectors to ensure sustainable withdrawals.
l Integrated water resources management (Target 6.5):
Implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including transboundary cooperation.
l Protect and restore water-related ecosystems (Target 6.6):
Safeguard and restore ecosystems such as rivers, wetlands, lakes, and aquifers.
l Expand international cooperation (Target 6.A):
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
l Enhance capacity-building (Target 6.B):
Strengthen the capacity of developing countries for water- and sanitation-related activities and programs.
Pakistan's Situation: Statistics, Progress, and Challenges
1. Access to Clean Water and Sanitation:
Pakistan is among the most water-stressed countries in the world, and access to clean water is limited for many people
The percentage of people using drinking water from an improved source that is accessible on premises, available when needed and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination. Improved water sources include piped water, boreholes or tubewells, protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered water.
According to the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), Pakistan is among the top 10 countries with the lowest access to clean water near to home.
Pakistan clean water access for 2022 was 50.60%, a 1.03% increase from 2021.
Pakistan clean water access for 2021 was 49.57%, a 1.03% increase from 2020.
Pakistan clean water access for 2020 was 48.55%, a 1.02% increase from 2019.
Pakistan clean water access for 2019 was 47.52%, a 1.02% increase from 2018.
2. Water Quality:
Out of 122 countries, Pakistan ranks 80th for drinking water availability, which is quite alarming (Azizullah et al., 2011). Water scarcity and contaminated drinking water have become an emerging national security challenge for Pakistan.
Water Availability:
Pakistan's per capita water availability is declining and is a serious concern for the country:
Annual water availability
Pakistan's annual water availability per person is less than 1,000 cubic meters, which is less than half the capacity of an Olympic swimming pool
Pakistan is classified as a water-stressed country, with annual per capita water availability dropping from 5,600 cubic meters in 1947 to less than 1,000 cubic meters today, nearing the threshold of absolute water scarcity.
The country's primary source of fresh water, the Indus River, is increasingly strained by climate change, overuse, and inefficient irrigation practices.
4. Progress towards SDG 6:
Pakistan has made some progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which focuses on water and sanitation for all by 2030:
Drinking water: 90% of the population has access to drinking water, but only 36% of it is safe for human consumption.
Sanitation: The percentage of the population using basic sanitation services has increased from 40% in 2015 to 68% in 2020. The number of people who practice open defecation has also decreased by 32 percentage points, to 7% of the population.
Hygiene: 85% of the population has a handwashing facility with soap and water at home.
Wastewater: 38% of domestic wastewater in Pakistan is safely treated.
End open defecation: Pakistan is on track to end open defecation by 2030.
The Sustainable Development Goal Policy Support System (PSS) allows government actors to discuss the status of indicators, capacity to improve, and resources to implement improvement
Pakistan has made progress in areas like handwashing and toilet access. According to the World Health Organization, 79% of Pakistanis now have access to handwashing facilities with soap and water.
The government has launched programs such as the Clean Green Pakistan Movement and the Pakistan Water Policy (2018), which aim to promote water conservation, sanitation, and hygiene practices.
Challenges to Achieving SDG 6 in Pakistan
1. Population Growth and Urbanization:
Pakistan is experiencing rapid population growth and urbanization, and is one of the most urbanized countries in South Asia:
Population growth
Pakistan's population growth rate is 1.52% in 2024. A lack of family planning and birth control is a major factor in the country's rapid population growth, especially in rural areas.
Urbanization
Pakistan's urban population has increased from 17% in 1951 to 41.7% in 2021. The UN Population Division estimates that by 2025, almost half of Pakistan's population will live in cities.
Urbanization in provinces
Sindh is the most urbanized province in Pakistan, with 52.02% of its population living in urban areas.
Urbanization challenges
Pakistan's urbanization has brought major challenges, including the need for safe cities. The Safe Cities project has created an Integrated Command, Control & Communication Programme (IC3) to improve response times, service delivery, and crowd management
2. Climate Change and Water Scarcity:
Pakistan is facing a serious water crisis. The country is rapidly moving from being classified as water “stressed” to water “scarce”—and with its annual water availability fall below 1,000 cubic metres per person, it may in fact have already crossed this threshold. For comparison, that means that the annual water available for each person in Pakistan would not even fill half of an Olympic swimming pool.
The scope of the crisis can be demonstrated by a few key facts;
About 92 per cent of Pakistan is classified as semi-arid to arid, and the vast majority of Pakistanis are dependent on surface and groundwater sources from a single source—the Indus River basin.
Since gaining independence in 1947, Pakistan's population has more than quadrupled; by 2100 its population will have increased by tenfold.
About 90 per cent of the country's agricultural production comes from land irrigated by the Indus Basin Irrigation System (Qureshi, 2011), firmly linking national food security to water levels in the Indus River basin.
Pakistan’s water storage capacity is limited to a maximum 30-day supply, far below the 1,000-day storage capacity recommended for a country with its climatic characteristics.
2. Poor Infrastructure and Management:
Pakistan's water crisis is due to a number of factors, including poor water management and infrastructure, and is exacerbated by climate change and rapid population growth:
Poor infrastructure
Pakistan's irrigation infrastructure is poor, and the country has low water storage capacity. Pakistan continues to have problems managing its water resources despite established frameworks and rules. The challenges include insufficient collaboration and coordination among governing bodies, enforcement of water allocation regulations, water scarcity, and quality concerns, limited adoption of modern irrigation technologies, inefficiencies in agricultural practices, and a lack of public involvement in decision-making (Bartram and Ballance, 1996Immerzeel et al., 2009
, Kalair et al., 2019).
4. Water Pollution:
Industrial waste, pesticide runoff, and untreated sewage contribute significantly to water pollution in Pakistan. Weak regulations and enforcement regarding water quality standards aggravate this situation.Water pollution in Pakistan is currently at an alarming stage, with ~80% of the population forced to drink contaminated water, whereas only 20% have the luxury of access to clean drinking water (Daud et al., 2017)
5. Governance and Institutional Challenges:
Pakistan faces several challenges with water management, including poor governance, inadequate infrastructure, and overexploitation of groundwater:
Poor governance
A lack of political leadership, policy processes, and stakeholder engagement is a major factor in Pakistan's ineffective climate-water action.
Inadequate infrastructure
Poor infrastructure is a primary challenge in managing water resources in Pakistan.
Overexploitation of groundwater
Overexploitation of groundwater has caused severe water table decline in most canal command areas in Punjab and Sindh provinces.
Demand and supply gap
The increase in population has caused a demand and supply gap in the judicious utilization of available water
Fragmented water governance is a critical barrier, with responsibilities spread across various federal and provincial bodies. Lack of coordination between these entities leads to inefficient policy implementation.
6. Financial Constraints:
Pakistan faces significant financial constraints in achieving SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) due to a lack of sufficient public funding, uneven distribution of resources, inadequate investment in water infrastructure, and the need to prioritize other critical needs like debt servicing, making it difficult to allocate adequate funds towards achieving the SDG 6 targets.
Key points about financial constraints in Pakistan regarding SDG 6:
Insufficient public spending:
The government's current budget allocation for water projects is often not enough to cover the necessary investments required to reach universal access to safe water and sanitation.
Unequal distribution of funds:
Funding for water projects can be unevenly distributed across different regions, with rural.
High operational costs:
areas often receiving less attention compared to urban centers.
Maintaining and upgrading existing water infrastructure can be costly, further straining available funds.
Debt burden:
Pakistan's existing debt obligations can limit the amount of money available to invest in water and sanitation projects.
Impact of natural disasters:
Frequent floods and other climate-related disasters can further drain resources needed for water infrastructure development.
Private sector involvement limitations:
While private sector partnerships can be helpful, regulatory frameworks and financial incentives may not be sufficient to encourage large-scale private investment in water infrastructure.
Consequences of these constraints:
Limited access to clean water:
Many people in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas, still lack access to safe drinking water due to inadequate infrastructure and funding.
7. Awareness and Behavior Change:
Raising awareness about the importance of water conservation and sanitation practices is a significant challenge, particularly in rural areas where hygiene practices and water usage habits need improvement.
Conclusion:
Pakistan faces considerable challenges in achieving SDG 6, particularly in terms of equitable access to clean water, managing water scarcity, and improving sanitation. While some progress has been made, there is a need for comprehensive policies, better infrastructure, improved governance, and increased investment to ensure sustainable water management and universal access to clean water and sanitation.
