[1]London: In an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released last week, Pakistan was pinpointed as “one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, not far from being classified, “water-scarce”.
India also doesn’t fare better with children in over 100 million homes having limited access to water.
Estimates by the Indian ministry of water resources indicate that by year 2050, India’s overall water demand will double, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.5 per cent. The country has about 16 per cent of the world’s population as compared to only four per cent of its water resources.
It receives an average of 4,000 billion cubic metres of rainfall every year, of which 48 per cent end up in the rivers. Due to lack of storage and crumbling infrastructure, only 18 per cent can be utilised. On the groundwater level scenario, India possesses about 432 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM) of groundwater replenished yearly from rain and river drainage, but only 395 BCM is utilisable.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lakshar-e-Taiba has unequivocally blamed India for Pakistan’s water crunch, accusing the Indian government of committing “water terrorism.”
The situation in China is also grim with as many as 6 million Chinese facing acute water shortage since mid-June due to drought that has caused direct economic losses of $1.98 billion, the Communist government said on Monday.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/krs00jpg-271