IN the hilly villages of northern Pakistan, a quiet change is taking place.
After an unusual heavy rain in early 2025, Mohammad Usman, a schoolteacher from a small village near Murree, gathered his neighbours to dig talaabs (small traditional ponds) near their homes.
These shallow water reservoirs, once a common sight in water-scarce areas, now glisten with collected rainwater, providing much needed relief to dry lands and struggling households.
“Barish to ati jati rehti ha, mgar yeh taalab pani sambhal k rakhte hain” Usman said, watching the soil slowly absorb the moisture.
This initiative, driven by ordinary people rather than government policies, is proving to be a simple yet effective solution to Pakistan’s growing water crisis, one that not only threatens agriculture but also the country’s overall stability.
Pakistan’s water security is worsening rapidly, ranking 14th among 17 countries at extreme water risk.
Water avail-ability has dropped from 5,230 cubic meters per person in 1962 to less than 1,000 in 2025.
Over 80% of the population faces severe water scarcity annually.
The Indus River’s levels have fallen by 50% in early 2025, pushing Tarbela Dam close to its dead level, shutting down nine power units, while Mangla’s decline cripples hydropower and irrigation.
Punjab and Sindh face a 30-35% water shortage this Kharif season, putting vital crops at risk.
These crops are not only crucial for food security but also sustain the textile industry.
Despite these alarming trends, small-scale community efforts, such as reviving traditional water reservoirs, offer a glimmer of hope amid long-standing neglect.
This is not just an agricultural crisis; it is a crisis of survival.
With our population already over 240 million and expected to reach 380 million by 2050, water demand is rising far beyond what we can supply.
Climate change worsens these problems.
Pakistan, ranked fifth on the Climate Risk Index, faces more unpredictable weather floods followed by droughts.
Our groundwater is running out fast.
The impact on people is heavily gendered.
In rural areas like Tharparkar, women walk up to four hours a day to fetch water, carrying heavy clay pots that strain their backs and expose them to the risk of assault.
This burden, carried by over 90 percent of women and girls, not only causes health issues but also creates domestic tensions when water becomes scarce.
Sadly, our national response remains weak.
The media is filled with political arguments, ignoring the urgent need for water security.
Though a National Water Policy exists, its implementation falters due to a lack of funding.
Despite many experts in water conservation, their efforts go unnoticed.
Amid this gloom, individual efforts offer hope.
Citizens like Us-man are reviving talaabs after rainfall.
These simple ponds, costing little to dig, capture run-off water, recharge groundwater, and provide enough water for crops and livestock for weeks.
Similar projects in India have reduced water stress by 20% in comparable areas.
In Pakistan, social media is buzzing with community interest, with some villages reporting reduced reliance on distant wells.
Pakistan must act now—declaring a water emergency is overdue.
Fixing leaky canals, which waste 40% of water, and treating wastewater can buy time.
Long-term solutions include expanding drip irrigation—currently just 1% of farm-land—modernizing dams, and promoting community-led conservation.
Villages can establish Water User Associations, while waste-water recycling for kitchen gardens is already in use in Sindh.
Simple innovations like the H2O Wheel ease water transport, and clay pot irrigation cuts agricultural water use by 70%.
Cities must adopt rooftop rainwater harvesting and communal storage towers to secure re-serves.
These local efforts, combined with policy action, can transform water management and avert crisis.
Switching to drought-resistant crops instead of water-heavy crops can significantly change our agricultural impact.
These local solutions, when implemented together, could change how Pakistan uses water far more effectively than any top down policy.
The talaab movement shows what’s possible when we act.
Our policymakers need to follow this lead, putting aside politics for a science driven approach.
The warning signs in Punjab and Sindh dams at dead levels, crops at risk demand immediate action that goes beyond provincial lines.
Water scarcity doesn’t respect borders or delays.
If we don’t address this crisis now, the consequences, food short-ages, power outages, social unrest, will be far greater than what we face today.
The choice is clear: act now, or watch our nation wither.
As citizens, we must push our leaders for action while embracing community led solutions.
The future of our children depends on the decisions we make today about the precious resource that sustains all life, water.
—The writer is a young activist who comes from Islamabad and now lives in Dubai. (engineerhammad786@gmail.com)
