Transforming Lives in Salt Range

News Desk

Peshawar: A visit to a Salt Range hamlet in Pakistan uncovered a transformative solution: rainwater harvesting. Within a brief span, this simple and affordable method revitalized groundwater reservoirs, bringing water to over 350 families. Previously, four nearly depleted wells near their homes now provide essential water for drinking and irrigation.

The exposure trip was arranged by the Institute of Urbanisation (IoU) to raise awareness among members of its Eco-Journalist Cohort about the transformative potential of sustainable solutions to the growing challenges of environmental degradation.

Nature-based solutions for tackling the growing and serious threats posed by environmental degradation and climatic changes are proving to be a highly cost-effective and sustainable approach to overcoming these challenges, said experts.

Our women’s family members have to carry heavy water-filled pitches over their heads, which is not only burdensome for them but also affects their health: Farmer Nadeem Akhter

Nadeem Akhter, a farmer in Siral hamlet in Khoshab district, said that our female family members have to carry heavy, water-filled pitches over their heads, which is not only burdensome for them but also affects their health. However, now we are very happy about getting water from a facility about which we had become hopeless, Nadeem added.

“The rainwater recharge system has been installed by World Wide Fund-Pakistan (WWF) under its ‘Water Stewardship and Replenishment Strategy’ in the water-stressed Soon Valley which has two famous lakes, Khabeki and Uchali, but both are lifeless due to their saline water,” informed WWF-Pakistan Senior Environmental Expert Umer Bin Khalid.

WWF-Pakistan has set up its office at the Uchali Lake, a Ramsher-declared wetland site, in the mid-90s for the protection of migratory birds and other aquatic species found in the lake, Umer apprised journalists.

“After recent rains, the water level in our well increased drastically, providing us with great relief in obtaining drinking water in the locality of around 2000 people,” shared Tasleem, another villager.

WWF’sefforts for water conservation

WWF-Pakistan worked on the introduction of a rainwater harvesting technique used to collect and store rainwater for future use from relatively clean surfaces such as roofs.

We have installed two groundwater recharge well systems at a cost of Rs. 1.5 million each, and that will work for years; it depends on rain, which is received twice a month on average, Umar Bin Khalid told

We have also provided tanks with a storage capacity of 1000 to 2000 litres of water to around 40 houses for the utilisation of rainwater for gardening and the provision of drinking water to livestock, Khalid added.

Another technology of floating platforms of vegetation introduced by WWF-Pakistan in Mard Wal village of Soon Valley is proving beneficial in the treatment of wastewater, converting it into something useful for drinking for livestock and irrigation in the area, a senior environmental expert further added.

The technology involves placing a mat or raft of buoyant materials, such as foam, on the water surface and planting it with wetland plants. As the plants grow and their roots extend into the water, they take on nutrients, pollutants, and other contaminants, making the water consumable for meeting the needs of plants, fields, and livestock.

As the plants grow and their roots extend into the water, they take on nutrients, pollutants, and other contaminants, making the water consumable for meeting the needs of plants, fields, and livestock

We have released around 150 mats carrying plants of the wetland, and each mat has been arranged at a cost of Rs. 8,000. This technology is not only a nature-based solution but also a very low-cost approach to treating wastewater, further stated WWF-Pakistan Official.

The technology has been introduced by Dr Muhammad Afzal of the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) and has proved beneficial even in the treatment of lubricant-carrying wastewater from the OGDCL (Oil and Gas Development Company) plant in Dakanni in Attock district.

“If this concept of treating wastewater through such low-cost nature-based solutions is promoted, a large amount of wastewater in the country can be reused for non-potable purposes like irrigation and can relieve the immense pressure on water bodies, lower pollution levels, and provide water security in the face of the climate crisis,” observed IoU Senior Fellow Dr Ejaz Ahmad.

These efforts are aimed at encouraging public participation and behavioural change towards sustainable management practices for utilising natural resources, Umar remarked.

Locals are also giving a positive response and extending full cooperation in the introduction of nature-based salutations as adaptative measures in fighting against the perils of climatic changes and environmental degradation.