Climatic changes affect indigenous practice of storing rainwater

APP

PESHAWAR: Septuagenarian Kalam Bibi, a resident of Abdul Khel of Lakki Marwat, an arid area, has spent her entire life storing rainwater in ponds at home to fulfill the water needs of her family, an inherited practice from generations.

But the abnormal reduction in precipitation because of the dramatic changes in climate is making her traditional method of storing and preserving water impossible, causing her and her family severe mental stress.

”Water scarcity is not a new problem as we have become used to the utilization of a limited number of commodities for our household needs, but acute shortage due to reduction in rain is creating serious problems for us,” says Kalam Bibi.

Lack of rain compelled the family of Kalam Bibi to arrange water tankers for filling house tanks, a practice not only new for the elderly lady but also an additional expense for the family.

“It is out of our range to pay Rs. 2000 for each water tanker after ten days for filling tanks set up in the basement. We are very much concerned as to how our basic water needs will be met with limited financial resources and severe rain shortage” explained  Kalam Bibi.

“This year there was no rain and majority of people in areas like Abdul Khel and its adjacent villages are compelled to arrange water through payment which is a severe burden on their pockets,” commented Shadi Khan, a senior journalist of Lakki Marwat.

Shadi Khan informed that some well-off families have opted for deep boring to extract groundwater, but a majority of the people cannot afford to avail this option due to high cost.

Accumulation of rainwater in ponds set up at basements of houses is a centuries-old practice, fulfilling water needs of people without putting a financial burden on them, but severe reduction in precipitation has turned it useless, Khan commented.

He also apprised that there are several water drinking schemes in the area installed by the Public Health Department, but a majority of them are faulty or almost non-functional due to non-availability of electricity for long hours.

In Southern districts including Lakki Marwat, majority of the areas are rain-fed, totally depending on downpour for ground recharge and irrigation service, while around 20 to 30 per cent of areas are getting water through canal, Shadi Khan said.

During the last couple of years, a record shortage of rain is observed in the Southern region, badly affecting people and farming community of the area, he went on to say. “Due to increase in extraction of groundwater in wake of increase in population and heat wave, the water level in Lakki Marwat is dropping by ten feet on an annual basis,” disclosed Xen Irrigation, Hafizullah Wazir.

A mega project, Pezu Dam, launched in 2001 by then-District Nazim, Hamayun Saifullah for better utilization of rainwater was facing undue delay in completion due to lack of funds, Shahi Khan informed APP. However recently, local politician and former Minister of Health Hisham Inamullah managed to release Rs 850 million after which work resumed on Pezu dam and hopefully the situation will improve after its completion in near future.

“Realizing drastic impacts of climatic changes ensuing in changes in precipitation patterns and causing desertification, there is need for comprehensive measures to address water-related changes which are getting aggravated by each year,” observed Syed Abu Bakkar, Communication Specialist International Water Management Institute (IWMI), an international, research for development organization working to solve water problems in developing countries.

Abu Bakkar informed that IWMI is also working in the water-stressed Southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially in DI Khan and Tank districts to educate people about climate mitigation measures for overcoming water shortage and better utilization of available natural sources.

According to the IPPC report, Abul Bakkar continued, Pakistan is fast heading toward facing water scarcity and the deadline of the year 2025 is very close to reaching.

He also informed that IWMI has recently developed a state-of-the-art groundwater recharge pilot site in Islamabad under its initiative of `Nature-based solutions for improving the resilience of groundwater aquifer.

There is dire need of creating awareness about the importance of natural resources and their optimal utilization otherwise we will be faced with very serious problems for survival, Abu Bakkar opined.