Water Governance and Management in the 21st Century: A Case Study of Pakistan

Given the continuous population growth and climate change, water resources are becoming increasingly scarce. With the escalation of this water crisis, water management and governance have become essential concerns across policy agendas. Every country has a different regulatory system, policy framework, specific management requirements, institutional challenges, and capacity gaps concerning the administration of its water resources. The present study focuses on the policy frameworks and institutions for managing water resources in Pakistan at both provincial and federal levels. The paper analyzes water governance challenges and major hurdles regarding effective water management and the development of water resources in the country. A descriptive analysis of the country’s water management and water distribution between the federation and federating units is based on secondary data sources with a qualitative approach through a desk research method. While describing the underpinning issues and challenges of water governance and management in Pakistan, the study findings reveal that the country needs to adopt a collaborative approach towards water governance and management and capacitate the relevant institutions and stakeholders to perform their mandated tasks effectively to ensure a water-secure future for Pakistan. The study recommends launching mass awareness campaigns concerning efficient usage of water, adopting intelligent agriculture techniques, and fast-tracking the completion of new reservoirs while discouraging build-neglect-rebuild policies for the existing water infrastructure. The study also presents limitations and recommendations for future research.