Comparative Analysis of Water Sector Reforms
Tracking Progress in Asia and the Pacific
Phase 1- Assessing Water Sector Policies and Reforms - Country Briefs
Pakistan
The political, governance and security environment has been unsettled since independence, with adverse impacts on natural resources management and on project implementation. However, the current government has commenced an ambitious program of governance, administrative and economic reforms, which can be expected to bring major benefits to the water sector.
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NATIONAL POLICIES AND REFORMS
The water sector recently has been extensively reviewed and a National Water Policy is being developed. There is an extensive body of law that needs revision and integration, as well as consistent enforcement. Mechanisms for coordination are limited, except at the scale of basin-wide water allocation in the Indus River basin.
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WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Pakistan has the largest integrated irrigation system in the world, and in that regard water resources management practice is effective. Problems associated with salinization are severe, but are being tackled. However, there are many areas of WRM in which further development is possible, including greater attention to social and environmental effects of projects, management of water quality and wastewater/effluent discharges, protection and rehabilitation of forests, catchments and wetlands, and equitable allocation of water at all levels.
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IMPROVING WATER SERVICES
In general, the situation with regard to the provision of water services is poor, but evolving. The national irrigation system, the largest in the world, functions, but the coverage, quality and reliability of urban water supply are poor and urban wastewater treatment virtually non-existent. Major infrastructure is owned and managed by the state and municipalities, and beneficiary participation is at an early stage of development. In rural areas there is extensive community provision and management of water infrastructure, by CBOs, individuals and (increasingly but with resistance) Farmer Organizations and Water User Associations. There is little engagement of the private sector in water services, and little encouragement for it.
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CONSERVING WATER
Regulatory mechanisms are in place but not much enforced. In general, heavy subsidisation of all water services and low tariffs do not encourage water conservation, and the public generally regards water as a free good supplied by the state. General levels of education are low and the community is poorly informed of water-related matters, although projects funded by NGOs and IOs incorporate public information and participation. Cost recovery is at an early stage for water services, and far from adequate to cover O&M costs. Expenditure is totally inadequate to sustain or further invest in facilities.
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PROMOTING REGIONAL COOPERATION
The Indus Waters Treaty with India is functional and crucially important to Pakistan, as the downstream riparian. Otherwise, there has been limited engagement with other countries, except through projects and activities funded by IOs such as the GWP and ADB, and stakeholders other than water professionals have limited understanding of water resources issues.
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FOSTERING PARTICIPATION; CAPACITY BUILDING; NETWORKING
Engagement of the community in state projects is at an early stage; policy is to promote participation and increased responsibility of community organisations, but there has been limited success to date, even in projects funded by NGOs and IOs that actively promote participation. Technical training facilities are well developed, particularly for senior people, but broadly-based capacity building is much more limited, particularly to projects that engage CBOs. Networking to exchange expertise internationally also is limited, and largely informal.
Sectors and Themes 
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