Water management and sustainable development in Pakistan: environmental and health impacts of water quality on achieving the UNSDGs by 2030

Water security is an emerging national security challenge for Pakistan. Combined with water scarcity, the quality of drinking water is rapidly deteriorating; the available drinking water is contaminated for many reasons, impacting the ecological chain in a pronounced way. Despite the government's strong commitment to the provision of clean drinking water to the citizens, and the use of smart technology for irrigation, which consumes 60%−70% of the water, to conserve the available water resources, the implementation of the policy is a daunting challenge. This study argues that surface and subsurface drinking water in Pakistan is being contaminated very quickly, creating several health risks and potential human security issues. The study examines the quality of drinking water through laboratory tests by collecting samples from selected urban and rural areas as a case study and examining them against the minimum safe ranges given in the international and national parameters for clean drinking water. As a result of laboratory testing, it has been revealed that the quality of drinking water in Pakistan is deteriorating sharply and the developing situation, if not addressed in time, has the potential to become the biggest health risk in the coming years. As water quality continues to worsen and water availability is gradually decreasing, the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) on water by 2030 is becoming a remote possibility. As a timely input to relevant institutions and government ministries, this study comprehensively highlights the challenges of water scarcity and water quality in Pakistan and provides recommendations for addressing the multidimensional water security issues in a sustainable manner and achieving UNSDG number 6 on access to clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.