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Aarav Bhaskar
31 July 2026 |
In 2026, Pakistan’s water crisis has posed significant challenges and has raised questions on water sovereignty and the role of resource allocation in government. A significant portion of Pakistan’s population faces insecurity with water, with the UN World Water Development Report 2026 stating that around 55 per cent of Pakistan does not have access to safely managed drinking water, and 58 per cent in rural areas do not have access to safely managed sanitation services.
Today, Pakistan’s water crisis is characterised by a combination of demographic, economic, and structural factors that deprive millions of Pakistanis of access to crucial water.
1. Rapid urbanisation, demographic shifts and climate impact
Pakistan’s population has surged, reducing availability per capita. Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have contributed to the use of water, with the resulting waste causing issues for access to water resources. Furthermore, Pakistan is also vulnerable to climate change. Rising average temperatures, especially in summers, have caused glaciers in northern provinces to melt and cause unusual monsoons. The Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index has frequently ranked Pakistan as the 8th most vulnerable country in the world to the effects of long-term climate change, as weather patterns grow increasingly irregular and it takes a toll on infrastructure.
2. Governance failures and interprovincial disputes
Poor governance has also led to the mismanagement of water, improper discharge of water, incompetent technical workers and service providers, as well as proximity to waste and sewage topping the lists of problems that pose issues for otherwise usable water. Given Pakistan’s vast demographic and geographic diversity, this competition over resources has resulted in water disputes among provinces, and disagreements over allocation have been a point of contention in parliamentary proceedings. In particular, Sindh and Balochistan have frequently accused Punjab of being in violation of the 1991 Water Appointment Accord, due to it drawing water significantly above its allocation. Consequently, this threatens other provinces, which draw deficits.
3. Water theft, infrastructure inefficiencies, and contamination
Due to the lack of monitoring over channelisation of water, a multitude of water theft cases in areas such as Southern Punjab and interior Sindh also threaten water security. Illegal drillings and unrecorded water connections run concurrently with sanitation systems in major cities, syphoning off water and simultaneously contaminating the main supplies. Such sanitation systems are built near or on water channels, further continually contaminating the water.
4. Food insecurity and Economic burden
Water scarcity affects the public health of Pakistan, as well as hurts its economy and future planning prospects. For example, Pakistan’s agriculture sector, accounting for over 20 per cent of the nation’s GDP and 38 per cent of all employment, faces severe stress under water shortages due to climate change and mismanagement, resulting in a lower yield for crops and lack of resources to take care of livestock. This has led to greater food insecurity, with an estimated 7.5 million Pakistanis suffering from acute hunger, as well as brought about economic burdens on farmers
5. Public Health Risks, Household costs, and Climate migration
Due to a large portion of water being classified as chemically and biologically hazardous (up to 90 per cent of all water sources in major urban areas like Karachi), many waterborne pathogens affect residents, accounting for a large number of hospital admissions. Mid 2026 data shows a surge in end-stage renal disease, attributed to long-term consumption of contaminated water. The cost of prevention also falls on residents, with it being reported that residents without piping in major cities must continuously boil tap water to ensure the safety of the water. As gas tariffs and inflation remain high in Pakistan, residents must allocate a significant portion of resources into this process. Simultaneously, many residents who must boil water also receive water from unregulated commercial tankers. Middle- and low-income residents in Karachi and Lahore in 2025 could expect to pay approximately 15-30 per cent of their monthly income just to purchase basic water for cooking and washing. Many residents who rely on domestic tube wells have faced drops in groundwater tables, finding their water pumps failing. Redrilling is an expensive process requiring special machinery and hundreds of thousands of Pakistani rupees, causing many families to migrate in search of water.
To conclude:
Pakistan’s water crisis is a multifaceted and deeply intersectional problem that affects citizens of Pakistan through economic deprivation, medical risks, and political instability. Urbanisation, poor management, and climate change have greatly affected everyday access to reliable, safe government water as crucial sectors like agriculture continue to suffer the effects of lower crop yield and greater food insecurity.
Going forward, Pakistan must prioritise multilateral coordination to ensure that provinces can effectively govern essential water systems, and to ensure the federal government can allocate these resources efficiently and fairly, to avoid internal strife as much as possible. Moreover, Pakistan must mitigate the negative effects of climate change, which serve to further exacerbate infrastructure issues and threaten the livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis. Lastly, medical infrastructure must be kept up to date to ensure the adverse effects of water insecurity do not bring individuals to harm.
References
World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. "Water Availability Shrinks as the Investment Gap Increases in Pakistan: UN Reports." June 17, 2026. https://www.emro.who.int/pak/pakistan-news/water-availability-shrinks-as-the-investment-gap-increases-in-pakistan-un-reports.html.
https://qubafoundation.org/water-scarcity-in-pakistan/
https://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/geography/pdf/3_V78_No1_2023.pdf
https://www.kamarajiasacademy.com/current-affairs/pakistan-facing-water-bankruptcy-amid-global-water-crisis-un-report-cited
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/1135881/pak-ado-april-2026.pdf
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9708371/
https://www.omnicuris.com/medshots/daily_updates/toxic-water-crisis-pakistan-kidney-disease#:~:text=Current%20reports%20indicate%20that%20nearly,pathogens%20and%20industrial%20toxins%20daily
https://www.dawn.com/news/1381595.
https://water.msu.edu/feature/who-pays-water-msu-researchers-examine-karachis-water-mafia-local-experts-reflect-michigans
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