AMRAIZ KHAN
The speakers of a workshop were of the view that efficient water management was key to ensuring water security. They said that to achieve this objective, we need to rightly measure our water resources, which will contribute towards informed decision-making.
They expressed these views in a media workshop held under the aegis of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Pakistan. The workshop was organized for effective reporting on water governance, under the UK Aid-funded Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan (WRAP).
The basic objective of the event was to sensitize print, electronic and digital media journalists on water governance in Pakistan. The speakers highlighted the importance of water measurement for effective water governance and how improved water resource management can help to ensure the availability of water for different sectors, especially agriculture and industry.
According to Dr Mohsin Hafeez, Country Representative – Pakistan, IWMI, and Team Leader of the WRAP Programme Component 1: CRS-IWaG, “IWMI Pakistan is working on various water-related reforms through the UK Aid-funded programme, such as water accounting and water resources assessment, Data as a Service (DaaS), water allocation systems, groundwater management information system, and irrigation demand management, among others. These reforms will improve water governance in the Indus Basin to support the implementation of national policies (water and climate change), as well as promote sustainable use of water in Punjab to support the implementation of the Punjab Water Act 2019.”
Dr Muhammad Javed, Director – of the Strategic Planning and Reform Unit, Punjab Irrigation Department (PID), gave an overview of the Punjab Water Act 2019 and how the WRAP Programme Component 1: CRS-IwaG is contributing towards its implementation. Engr.
Hafiz Qaisar Yasin, Director (Headquarters), On Farm Water Management (OFWM) Punjab, informed the participants of the need to improve water governance for better agricultural productivity in Punjab.
