Modern life runs on water. But the wells are
running dry.
— Greta Lorge- The thirst of nations
Thewater shortage worldwide is a growing concern. Global climatic changes and increasing population of the world is placing a higher pressure on the scarce resource of fresh water. It is estimated that 1.1 billion people, about one-sixth of the world's population, lack access to safe drinking water. Aquifers under Beijing, Delhi, Bangkok, and dozens of other rapidly growing
urban areas are drying up. The rivers Ganges, Jordan, Nile, and Yangtze — all dwindle to a trickle for much of the year. In the former Soviet Union, the Aral Sea has shrunk to a quarter of its former size, leaving behind a salt-crusted waste.**1
(http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/1605/ff_peakwater?currentPage=all
as on 17th February 2012).
Freshwater is the ultimate renewable resource, but humanity is extracting and polluting it faster than it can be replenished. Rampant economic growth — more homes, more businesses, more
water-intensive products and processes, a rising standard of living — has simply outstripped the ready supply, especially in historically dry regions. Compounding the problem, the hydrologic cycle is growing less predictable as climate change alters established temperature patterns around the globe.**1
http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/16-05/ff_peakwater?currentPage=all
as on 17th February 2012.
The historically dry areas of Pakhtoonkhwa and FATA include Mohmand, Khyber, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Parts of D.I Khan and south western parts of Nowshehra. Here I am focusing more on Mohmand Agency in its peculiar context.**
FATA had been historically a neglected area of the country and the recent war on terror and the changing geopolitical situation after 9/11 brought FATA in to the flash light in international media and discussion forums. Mohmand Agency is one of the 7 tribal districts that combinly are known as FATA. Geographically Mohmand Agency Lies on 34.168 to 34.7498 Degrees atitude and 71.005 to 71.700 degrees Longitude.The climate is hot and dry in summer and cold and dry in winter. Mohmand Agency is bordered on the North by Bajaur Agency and parts of Afghanistan, on the East by Malakand &Charsadda districts, on south by Peshawar District, on the South west by Khyber Agency and on the North West by Afghanistan. The terrain of Mohmand is mostly hilly and mountainous with little plain land. Most of the agricultural land is rain fed, having insufficient rainfall; the agriculture produce is very low, but in lower Mohmand area, i.e
Michanai area,of Tarakzai near the Kabul river there are areas of good agriculture. In upper Parts of Mohmand i.e. Safi Pindialai, Khwaizai Baizai and Halimzai the irrigation is carried out through Open wells with token presence of Spring irrigation in Baizai, Prang Ghar and Ambar Tehsils.
Technically speaking Mohmand Agency provides passage to two major rivers of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa i.e. River Kabul and River Swat, but as described in a folk Pushtu song “ Da de khabare Jawab Raka, da seend pa ghara ghara zam da tande mrama” “How it comes, or can you answer this the I am right on the bank of the river,but I am thirsty to the extent of death” This verse virtually explain the situation of indigenous people of Mohmand Agency. The water table is continuously falling. Despite the presence of two rivers, Major area of the Agency is cut off from the rives through rocky mountains.
To understand the situation here in Mohmand We may have to look to Baluchistan province, The water shortage in Baluchistan is province-wide. Sardar Riaz A. Khan, former Director of Pakistan’s Arid Zone Research Institute in Quetta,reports that six basins have exhausted their groundwater supplies,leaving their irrigated lands barren. Khan expects that within 10–15 years
virtually all the basins outside the canal-irrigated areas will have depleted their groundwater supplies, depriving the province of much of its grain harvest.
Futureirrigation water cutbacks as a result of aquifer depletion will undoubtedly reduce Pakistan’s grain harvest. Countrywide, the harvest of wheat—-the principal food staple—-is continuing to grow, but more slowly than in the past.** 3 http://www.eoearth.org/article/Aquifer_depletion
(Visited on 18th February 2012)
A few of the proximate causes of falling underground water in Mohmand Agency are as below.
Causes.
1. Overexploitation of groundwater. Groundwater overexploitation occurred in many areas of Asia, such as Gujarat of India,North China plain and some areas of Pakistan. They related to the declination of ground-water levels, reduction of well outputs, and seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers, land surface subsidence and movement of mineralized or polluted
waters into the aquifer. Generally, the declination of groundwater levels results in the increased cost of ground water owing to the expenditure involved in deepening the wells and pumping up water from the correspondingly increased depths. In some cases, overexploitation could lower the water table to such depths that the existing wells have to be abandoned. Countries facing problems related to excessive withdrawal of ground water in certain locations include China, India,Japan, Maldives, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka ，Thailand ,and so on. (http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001483/148390e.pdf)
With regard to Mohmand Agency this overexploitation started in mid 1980s when the people started getting money from gulf countries, government employees retirement graduity, and even debts and other sources, and every one established an irrigation well on own land. As the area was a dry one, cash crops such as coriander, off season tomato, cucumber etc proved to be short cuts to getting rich. This also elevated the life standards, previously every village had a
pond for storing of rain water that was used for washing clothes, construction, and drinking of livestock, but the modern pumping machinaries brought clear and clean drinking water to every house. So the use of rain water gradually phased out from fashion.
2. Decreasing land cover and deforestation: indigenous plants of the area were indiscriminately de-foretasted which reduced the infiltration of the aquifiers. The land cover in the area was degraded extremely with Afghan nomadic tribes bringing their cattle every year which over grazed the area and the factors which could increase the infiltration of underground water were finished. The presence of Afghan refugees and nomadic tribes not only caused overgrazing in the area but had also speeded up the deforestation.
3. Wrong policies of Forest department and government: The local forest department in pursuance of the national policies on reforestation and afforestation introduced the Eucalyptus species that were planted on every piece of available land, that has caused further degradation to the underground water. Eucalyptus species were introduced in the late 60s as a result of the then president of Pakistan M. Ayoub Khan’s craze for speedy change without looking in to details of the impacts of the speedy interventions (Qudrutullah Shahab, Shahabnama)
4. Changing rain pattern: The changing rain pattern specially delayed or reduced winter rains, that used to rain for many days with a slow pace are now a days not occurring as used to occur previously. In the words of local people of the area “ in old days the rains of the winter used to be so lengthy that it rained for more than 5 days in one go, but now both the duration and
frequency of winter rains have significantly reduced. The snow fall incidents have decreased. These were the factors which used to contribute to recharge to underground water.
5. Geographic features: Geographically the area is composed of very steep slopes that provide very lesser time to the flood water to infiltrate the ground and reach to the aquifers. The steep slopes proved additional velocity to flood water which not only reduce recharge to underground water but also cause soil erosion.
Climate change- blessing in disguise ? Opportunities
Fortunately in Mohmand and majority of other similar areas the aquifers being used are shallow aquifers and fossil water has not be started for usage. Benefit of shallow aquifers is that they could easily be recharged with rain water. Another advantage of the area is the situation for recharge is favorable as according to A. Kennet Smith, P. G.Cook and G. R walker (Journal of Hydrology 154-1994) “the lower the clay content of the soil, the greater is the recharge”, and the soil in majority of the areas in Mohmand is with low clay contents. Keeping in view the current
situation following could be considered as opportunities for intervention for sustainable management of the issue.
1 Increasing monsoon rains quantity and frequency:. With changing global climate the area is receiving increased monsoon rains every year in summer. Which unfortunately is shaped as flood and hits back the agency as well as downstream areas in district Charsadda. The rain and flood water in rainy monsoon seasons could be stored in earthen ponds, check dams and delay
action dams, which will not only serve the purpose of irrigation but will also cause a recharge to underground aquifiers (Adopted from Madhya Ganga Canal Project, India by R. Sakthivadivel of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and A. S. Chawala formerly of the Water Resources Development and Training Centre (WRDTC), University of Roorkee,)
A very good aspect of rain water harvesting in the areas is that the area is not heavily industrialized so the rain water recharge would be a very healthy addition to long term assets of the area.
2. Increasing vegetative land cover: The raising level of awareness about natural resources
could be used as a powerful factor for sustainable management of natural resources. Both literate and illiterate people have understood to some extent the damage that humans have caused to themselves through unwise exploitation of resources and now situation is ripe for collective conservation of the environment, If some resources are allocated to reforestation and afforestation this can have a significant affect. It is to be remembered that increasing vegetative cover should be of the indigenous plants, and if deforestation of eucalyptus could be carried out it will help because Clearance of the vegetative covers (Eucalyptus and Mallee) has been shown to increase recharge to underground water in Murray basin in Australia. ** Kennet smit et al- Journal of Hydrology-156 (1994)
3. Equitable and sane use of resources: The people have a culture of using rain water stored in ponds for construction, washing and cattle uses. Those cultural values could be promoted and more wise use of underground water could be advocated.
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