UNICEF’s response

 UNICEF’s response

As the factors driving water scarcity are complex and vary widely across countries and regions, UNICEF works at multiple levels to introduce context-specific technologies that increase access to safe water and address the impacts of water scarcity. 

Identifying new water resources: We assess the availability of water resources using various technologies, including remote sensing and geophysical surveys and field investigations.

Improving the efficiency of water resources: We rehabilitate urban water distribution networks and treatment systems to reduce water leakage and contamination, promoting wastewater reuse for agriculture to protect groundwater.

Planning for urban scarcity: We plan for future water needs by identifying available resources to reduce the risk of cities running out of water.

Expanding technologies to ensure climate resilience: We support and develop climate-resilient water sources, including the use of deeper groundwater reserves through solar-powered water networks. We also advance water storage through small-scale retention structures, managed aquifer recharge (where water is pumped into underground reserves to improve its quality), and rainwater harvesting.

Changing behaviors: We work with schools and communities to promote an understanding of the value of water and the importance of its protection, including by supporting environmental clubs in schools.

Planning national water needs: We work with key stakeholders at national and sub-national levels to understand the water requirements for domestic use and for health and sanitation, and advocate to ensure that this is reflected in national planning considerations.

Supporting the WASH sector: We develop technical guidance, manuals and online training programmes for WASH practitioners to improve standards for water access.

Water scarcity is predicted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as a major impending externality of climate change in Pakistan. The prevailing water management practices are grossly inefficient. As proposed by Ostrom, the community-based water management can improve its efficiency through ownership of the resource. Therefore ecomanagement system was assessed in this article for effectiveness against climate-induced water scarcity. 

The primary data were collected from 75 randomly selected farmers participating in ecomanagement systems in Shorkot sub district of Punjab. The respondents were asked questions related to the impact of climate change on water availability, their response to climate-induced water scarcity, the possible responses to water scarcity, and the effectiveness of community-managed water management. The data were analyzed using various statistical techniques. 

The majority of farmers perceived that climate change resulted in reduced water availability—all these farmers took actions to respond to water scarcity. A majority (50%) employed advanced irrigation systems, whereas 32% shifted to crops with less water requirement showing positive effect of community mobilization. The improvement of water use efficiency was considered the best way to tackle future water scarcity by 50% of sampled farmers, with 20% considering reforms in water distribution as the best way. The findings showed that farmers considered lack of trust and reciprocity as the biggest hurdle, followed by problems in conflict management. 

Water distribution and watercourse maintenance were the most well-performing functions of ecomanagement. Thus it was concluded that farmers were well aware of climate-induced water scarcity challenges and were already taking adaptation measures. However, the ecomanagement system needed immediate corrective measures to deal with conflict management function because future water scarcity may result in more conflicts in water distribution and use.

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