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23 Nov 2020 ISLAMABAD

Pakistan: Slow Implementation Of Internationally-funded Water Projects

An inter-ministerial forum on Thursday expressed concern over delays in implementation of water sector projects being funded by the international lending agencies and called for coordinated efforts to address bottlenecks. At present, 15 foreign-funded projects amounting to $3.239bn are currently under implementation...

13 Aug 2020 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

World Bank Official Clarifies Institution's Role In Indus Waters Treaty Dispute Resolution

The outgoing World Bank Country Director for Pakistan has said that the international institution is unable to make an independent decision on either the appointment of a court of arbitration or the appointment of a neutral expert in the settlement of a dispute between Pakistan and India over the Indus Waters Treaty...

21 Feb 2020 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Guterres Calls For Indus Waters To Be Used As A "Tool For Peace And Not War"

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the Indus River waters shared by Pakistan and India to be used as a “tool for peace and not war".During a 4-day visit to Pakistan in mid-February Guterres alluded to heightened tensions between the two countries around interpretation and implementation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty which codifies the division and management of the waters of the Indus...

19 Dec 2019 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan To Demand Indus Treaty Arbitration Proceedings

A Pakistan government delegation visiting Washington DC this month was expected to demand establishment of a court of arbitration to address concerns over India’s two hydroelectric power projects – Kishanganga and Ratle, under terms of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty between Pakistan and India.The group, headed by Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Syed Mehr Ali Shah left for the United States 15 December, and was expected to stay for five days of meetings, particularly with the World Bank (WB) which acts as Arbitrator to the Treaty...

21 Aug 2019 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Kashmir Situation Is A Water Situation, Indus Treaty Challenged

Pakistan authorities August 19 warned that release of water from an upstream dam may cause flooding in Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The Indian-administered part of the majority-Muslim region, known as Jammu and Kashmir had special status "revoked" by the Indian Government August 5, placing it under Indian control...

12 Aug 2019 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan's Indus River Barrage To Mitigate Climate Impacts On Wetlands, Human Migration

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved development of the ambitious “Sindh Barrage” on the Indus River.Located about 28 miles upstream from the mouth of the river at the Arabian Sea and about 80 miles east of Karachi, the Sindh Barrage was proposed by Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to address water issues in the region...

1 Apr 2019 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

World Bank Suspends Balochistan IWRM Project

The World Bank has announced a 30-day suspension of the Balochistan Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and Development Project on March 29, citing lack of construction progress and fiduciary control. During the hiatus, announced March 29, the bank will work with the Government to restructure the scope of the project, which was meant to benefit one of the poorest and least developed provinces in Pakistan...

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5 Mar 2019 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan Drought Causing Malnutrition, Disease, Internal Migration

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has described the rates of malnutrition and disease in the southern Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan as “alarmingly high” as drought associated with climate change prevails in the region.IFRC released approximately $315,000 USD in emergency funding March 1 to assist in relief work in the provinces which are currently affected by one of the worst droughts in Pakistan’s history...

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28 Feb 2019 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

China's Three Gorges Corporation Will Build $2.7 Billion USD Pakistan Hydro Project

Pakistan officials announced February 27 that China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC) has been selected to construct the 1,124 MW Kohala Hydropower Project (KHPP) along the Neelum-Jhelum River. The $2.7 Billion USD project is the largest project and is expected to take 6.5 years to complete.This is the second such mega project in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) along the river despite protests against unacceptable environmental issues in Muzaffarabad city caused by the diversion of the Neelum River after commissioning of Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP)...

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18 Jan 2019 ISLAMABAD

Why Isn't Pakistan Recharging Its Aquifers?

Recharging our water aquifers is one way to help contend with our impending water crisis. Back in 2016, the Punjab government began a four-year project for recharging aquifers as part of its groundwater management and to develop the economical and sustainable technology for aquifer recharging. This project was meant to be implemented by the irrigation department...

13 Jan 2019 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan Officials Will Inspect Controversial India Dam Sites

The government of India will permit Pakistan officials to inspect two controversial dam sites in the Chenab basin in a sign of some thawing in relations between the two signatories of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).A Pakistani team will visit facilities January 27 to February 1, the The Express Tribune reported this week, the first inspections since talks resumed in summer 2018 after a four year suspension...

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23 Oct 2018 ISLAMABAD

Pakistan Water Minister Calls For "War-footing" To Resolve Water Scarcity

Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda said on Saturday that the water issue should be taken seriously and all stakeholders should contribute to resolving it on a war-footing. The minister urged experts in the government and private sectors to give advice on adopting alternate sources of energy to create sustainable conditions as the government was planning to take initiatives for permanent solutions to water scarcity and energy problems.