April 23, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, April 22: Pakistan is increasingly becoming a ‘water stressed’ country, as glaciers in the Himalayas are receding faster than in any other part of the world.

This was observed by Dr Ishfaq Ahmad, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in a recent presentation to the cabinet on “global warming, resultant melting of glaciers and implications for Pakistan.”

At present, large reservoir capacity of the country stood at 12.3 million acre feet (maf), down from original capacity of 15.7maf due to silting, he told the cabinet.

He said average annual Indus River System (IRS) inflows was 138maf, which had witnessed an increased variability between 97maf to 172maf during 1961-2001. About 80 per cent of IRS inflows originates from melting of snow in Himalayas, Dr Ishfaq said.

Similarly, large variations in water flows downstream Kotri between 0.7maf to 92maf have been observed over the years (1976-2003).

Referring to various international studies, the adviser informed the cabinet that mountain glaciers all over the world have been experiencing a general shrinking over the last 100 years.

However, glaciers in the Himalayan region are receding faster than any other part of the world such as glacier Gangotri retreated 2,000 meter in the past 200 years, of which 850 meters was in the last 20 years, Dr Ishfaq said.

Currently, stock of water in the glaciers of upper Indus Basin is estimated at 2,200maf, equivalent to about 16 years of average IRS inflows. And due to the shrinking of glaciers caused by global warming, Pakistan is losing an important natural reservoir which is a regular source of IRS inflows, he said.

Increasing water demand, need to provide regulated water inflows downstream Kotri and reduction in capacity of existing reservoir call for an enhanced reservoir capacity which will ensure water security in the country, Dr Ishfaq said.

He said owing to various climate change impacts, the country was witnessing increased fluctuations in river flows; variability in monsoon; risk of floods, droughts and tropical storms; severe water stressed conditions in arid and semi-arid regions due to reduced rainfall; sea level rise and reduction in the capacity of natural reservoir due to rise in snowline on mountains with increase in surface temperatures.