Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan’s water crisis is deepening at an alarming pace, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) warning that more than four out of every five Pakistanis still do not have access to safe drinking water.
The country’s main water artery, the Indus Basin system, is also coming under increasing strain due to upstream pressures and decades of neglected infrastructure.
These findings appear in the latest Asian Water Development Outlook, which ranks Pakistan among the region’s most water-stressed countries. The report notes that the country’s per capita water availability has plunged to levels 35% below the global threshold, largely because of a soaring population and ineffective water management.
According to the assessment, Pakistan’s annual water availability has fallen from 3,500 cubic metres in 1972 to barely 1,100 cubic metres in 2020, far lower than the internationally accepted safe limit of 1,700 cubic metres, The Express Tribune reported.
The ADB highlighted that the Indus Basin now faces “significant threats from upstream controls and longstanding infrastructure constraints,” though the lender declined to say whether this included India’s repeated suggestions of curbing Pakistan’s water supply. The report stresses that climate change, rapid population expansion and mismanagement of existing resources are accelerating water scarcity across the country.
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One of the starkest revelations is that more than 80% of Pakistan’s population consumes unsafe water, a situation that fuels widespread waterborne diseases. Excessive extraction of groundwater for farming has intensified depletion and triggered arsenic contamination in many regions. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems remain weak, with open defecation still prevalent in several districts.
The ADB notes that Pakistan’s overall water security profile, covering rural, economic, urban, environmental and disaster-related indicators, has seen little meaningful progress in the 2016, 2020 and 2025 reviews.
Despite being a major agricultural economy, Pakistan continues to suffer from chronic inefficiencies in water use, dated irrigation networks and poor industrial performance. Ageing pipelines, persistent service breakdowns and inadequate drainage leave many areas vulnerable to flash floods and sewage contamination.
Water-related disasters remain particularly worrying. Early-warning mechanisms have been strengthened somewhat, but unchecked development on floodplains, combined with unplanned urban expansion, has sharply increased exposure to flooding. The country has weathered repeated disasters in the past decade, ranging from droughts to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
While rural water access remains limited due to weak delivery models and poor monitoring, urban centres are also struggling. Rapid urbanisation, untreated sewage, rising demand and frequent flooding have placed immense pressure on municipal networks.
Environmental water security has deteriorated as well. Unchecked industrial growth, untreated effluent and population pressures continue to damage rivers, wetlands and aquatic ecosystems.
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Even so, the ADB notes modest improvement in Pakistan’s national water security score between 2013 and 2025, rising by just over six points. Water governance indicators have also improved on paper, from 50% in 2017 to 63% in 2023, signalling better policy frameworks. However, the lender stresses that weaknesses in implementation, coordination, technical expertise and investment continue to hold back meaningful progress.
The economic toll remains heavy. The report warns that agriculture, industry and energy sectors all face serious water constraints. Industry relies heavily on unregulated groundwater extraction, while outdated irrigation systems and minimal storage leave farmers exposed to drought and over-extraction.
To improve the situation, the ADB recommends that Pakistan strengthen the National Water Council, adopt volumetric water pricing, establish an independent authority to monitor water quality, and integrate social inclusion and gender considerations into water governance. Stronger environmental regulation and greater protection of natural ecosystems are also urged.
On the financing side, the report points out that Pakistan’s investment in water management is still nowhere near what is required. Although WASH funding grew by 152% between 2019 and 2023, the Public Sector Development Program allocated only Rs1.5 trillion, far below the estimated need of Rs10–12 trillion over the next decade.
