Pakistan's water crisis rooted in mismanagement, not India: Report
Synopsis
A detailed expert report dismantles Pakistan's narrative that India is responsible for its water woes — showing that Pakistan wastes or loses roughly 36 MAF of its annual 140 MAF Indus allocation, stores just 30 days of water, and has failed to implement reforms the World Bank flagged as critical back in 2018. The data suggests the crisis is homegrown, not upstream.
Key Takeaways
Pakistan receives approximately 140 MAF annually from Indus Basin western rivers, exceeding the 135 MAF estimated at the time of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty .
Only 104 MAF of the 140 MAF is used for irrigation; the rest is lost to system waste or the sea.
Pakistan's water storage capacity covers just 30 days of supply — 15 per cent of annual river flow.
A World Bank study found Pakistan's water security compromised by poor governance, groundwater overexploitation, and weak planning.
India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 .
Expert Kushvinder Vohra argues no increase in water flow will help Pakistan without Integrated Water Resource Management reforms and resolution of inter-provincial disputes.
Pakistan's chronic water shortages in the Indus Basin stem primarily from domestic mismanagement rather than any actions by India, according to a detailed report published in the Liberia-based daily The New Dawn. The analysis, authored by Kushvinder Vohra — Former Chairman of the Central Water Commission, ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India, and Former Indian Commissioner Indus — argues that Pakistan will continue to face water insecurity until it undertakes sweeping reforms in water resource management.
What the Data Shows
According to Vohra, Pakistan receives approximately 140 Million Acre Feet (MAF) of water annually in the Indus Basin from western rivers — already exceeding the 135 MAF estimated at the time the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed in 1960. Of this, only about 104 MAF is diverted for irrigation use. The remainder, Vohra noted, 'is either wasted in the system or goes to sea.'
On eastern rivers, flows have reportedly declined by around 15 per cent from the 33 MAF assessed at the Treaty's inception. Vohra questioned why Pakistan continues to direct rhetoric at India when the core issue lies within its own borders.
World Bank Findings on Pakistan's Water Governance
A World Bank Group study titled 'Pakistan — Getting More from Water' — with data updated to September 2018 — assessed Pakistan's water security outlook through 2047. The report found that Pakistan is relatively well-endowed with water resources, with only 16 countries globally having more. However, it flagged that per-capita availability is constrained given Pakistan's status as the sixth most populous country in the world.
The World Bank study identified several structural failings: poor water data governance, weak planning frameworks, pollution, over-exploitation of groundwater, low water productivity, and inadequate flood and drought forecasting systems. Over 90 per cent of Pakistan's water is consumed by the agriculture sector, making efficiency improvements critical.
Storage Deficit and Agricultural Vulnerability
Pakistan's water storage capacity stands at just 15 per cent of annual river flow, allowing the country to store only approximately 30 days worth of water. Experts cited in the report warn that without substantial investment in storage infrastructure, Pakistan will be unable to achieve reliable Rabi (winter crop) irrigation — a direct threat to food security.
This comes amid a broader pattern: Pakistan has consistently objected to hydroelectric projects in India, all of which are reportedly permitted under the IWT, rather than directing that energy toward domestic infrastructure development.
The Indus Waters Treaty and India's Abeyance Decision
Following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April 2025, India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, exercising what it described as its rights as a sovereign nation under international law. India has maintained that the Treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
Critics argue that Pakistan's continued framing of its water crisis as India-induced serves a political purpose — deflecting from accountability failures at home. 'Could this be a deliberate agenda to always blame India and play the victim card to divert attention from the real issue that is mismanagement of water resources in Pakistan?' Vohra wrote.
The Path Forward, According to Experts
Vohra outlined a comprehensive reform agenda for Pakistan, stating: 'No amount of water flow can help Pakistan unless it works on Integrated Water Resource Management by improving their systems, crop water productivity, groundwater management, storages, agricultural practices, institutional reforms, monitoring systems, use of modern technology etc and resolving inter-provincial disputes.'
He added that public discourse within Pakistan on these structural issues is 'barely taking place,' and that 'hiding the real issues and focusing on imaginary issues by blaming India is not going to be helpful.' Analysts suggest that resolving inter-provincial water disputes — a long-standing fault line within Pakistan — is as critical as any external diplomatic engagement.
Point of View
Yet frames its crisis as India-made. The World Bank flagged these governance failures as far back as 2018, and little has changed. Pakistan's inter-provincial water disputes — a politically toxic subject domestically — remain unresolved, while the easier narrative of blaming an upstream neighbour continues to crowd out reform. India's decision to place the IWT in abeyance has given Pakistan a fresh rhetorical shield, but the numbers suggest the shield is covering a self-inflicted wound.
NationPress
1 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Pakistan facing a water crisis in the Indus Basin?
According to expert analysis and World Bank findings, Pakistan's water crisis is primarily caused by domestic mismanagement — including poor storage infrastructure, low crop water productivity, groundwater overexploitation, and weak institutional frameworks — rather than any reduction in water flows from India. Pakistan receives approximately 140 MAF annually from Indus Basin western rivers, more than the 135 MAF estimated at the time of the 1960 Treaty.
What is the current status of the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan?
India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April 2025. India has stated the Treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
How much water does Pakistan actually receive from the Indus system?
Pakistan receives approximately 140 MAF of water annually from western Indus rivers — already above the 135 MAF estimated when the Treaty was signed in 1960. Of this, only about 104 MAF is diverted for irrigation use, with the rest lost to system inefficiencies or flowing to the sea.
What did the World Bank report say about Pakistan's water management?
The World Bank Group study titled 'Pakistan — Getting More from Water,' with data updated to September 2018, found that Pakistan is well-endowed with water resources but fails to use them efficiently. It cited poor data governance, weak planning, pollution, groundwater overexploitation, and inadequate flood and drought forecasting as key failings, noting that over 90 per cent of Pakistan's water is used for irrigation.
What reforms do experts say Pakistan needs to address its water crisis?
Experts, including former Central Water Commission Chairman Kushvinder Vohra, say Pakistan must implement Integrated Water Resource Management — covering improved irrigation systems, crop water productivity, groundwater management, expanded storage capacity, modernised agricultural practices, institutional reforms, advanced monitoring systems, and resolution of inter-provincial water disputes.
