The Vulnerability of Pakistan's Water Sector to the Impacts of Climate Change: Identification of gaps and recommendations for action

The report identifies that while the total volume of water in the Indus River Basin may not change significantly in the near term, climate change will likely alter the timing and variability of peak flows due to unpredictable monsoon patterns. It highlights a critical lack of hydrological knowledge regarding the Upper Indus Basin and warns that per capita water scarcity will increase due to rising demand, regardless of climate change. Key recommendations include modernizing streamflow monitoring, establishing a water data repository, and promoting sustainable irrigation for smallholder farmers.

• Climate change is expected to have a limited effect on the total volume of water in the Indus River Basin in the short and medium term, but it will likely increase flow volume variability and alter the timing of peak flow before the 2050s, driven by unpredictable monsoon precipitation rather than glacial or snow melt changes.
• Pakistan faces increasing per capita water scarcity in the coming decades due to projected increases in water demand, a trend that will occur even without the influence of climate change.
• Current capacity to estimate future water availability is hindered by a deficiency in knowledge concerning the hydrological regime of the Upper Indus Basin.
• To address water management and research gaps, the report recommends modernizing the streamflow monitoring network, creating a water data and analysis repository, strengthening post-secondary education on climate change, and increasing the adoption of sustainable irrigation by smallholder farmers.
• Water scarcity and climate change are identified as the most significant non-traditional security threats facing Pakistan, yet they receive less attention in policy and political circles than traditional threats like terrorism and energy security.

APA

Ahmed,, J.-E. P. O. T. A. A. (2017). The Vulnerability of Pakistan's Water Sector to the Impacts of Climate Change: Identification of gaps and recommendations for action. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/vulnerability-pakistans-water-sector-impacts-climate-change-identification-gaps

Chicago

Ahmed,, Jo-Ellen Parry,Hisham Osman,Anika Terton,Saeed A. Asad,Toqeer. The Vulnerability of Pakistan's Water Sector to the Impacts of Climate Change: Identification of gaps and recommendations for action. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/vulnerability-pakistans-water-sector-impacts-climate-change-identification-gaps.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ahmed, |first1=Jo-Ellen Parry,Hisham Osman,Anika Terton,Saeed A. Asad,Toqeer |title=The Vulnerability of Pakistan's Water Sector to the Impacts of Climate Change: Identification of gaps and recommendations for action |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=11 June 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/vulnerability-pakistans-water-sector-impacts-climate-change-identification-gaps |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ahmed2017vulnerability, author = {Ahmed,, Jo-Ellen Parry,Hisham Osman,Anika Terton,Saeed A. Asad,Toqeer}, title = {{The Vulnerability of Pakistan's Water Sector to the Impacts of Climate Change: Identification of gaps and recommendations for action}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/vulnerability-pakistans-water-sector-impacts-climate-change-identification-gaps}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }