10 Alarming Truths Behind the Water Crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Winter Fails to Freeze

PESHAWAR, Jan 04 (APP): As Pakistan’s population crossed 245 million last year, the pressure on its most precious natural resource—water—has become impossible to ignore. The absence of adequate snowfall, shrinking forests, groundwater contamination, and recurring floods are collectively squeezing water supplies across the country, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) among the worst-hit regions.

Population Growth and Rising Water Demand

Experts warn that Pakistan’s rapidly growing population is outpacing its available water resources.

According to projections, the country’s population could exceed 400 million by 2050, while water demand is expected to rise to 274 million acre-feet (MAF)—far exceeding the estimated supply of 191 MAF.

This widening gap has intensified the water crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in densely populated districts such as Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan and Charsadda.

Warm Winters and Vanishing Snowfall

Climate change has altered winter patterns across northern Pakistan.

Reduced snowfall in KP’s upper catchments has weakened natural water storage systems that once replenished rivers and aquifers. Without frozen reserves, rivers dry earlier, groundwater fails to recharge, and water shortages begin months ahead of summer.

Learn more about climate change impacts from the World Meteorological Organization:  https://www.wmo.int

Floods That Poisoned the Groundwater

Ironically, floods have worsened water scarcity.

The 2010 and 2022 floods devastated KP’s infrastructure and severely damaged underground aquifers. In many villages, groundwater became contaminated, unsafe, or “heavy,” forcing residents to abandon local wells.

“There is no letup in our miseries,” said Riazul Haq, a resident of Nowshera’s Pabbi tehsil.
“We are forced to bring water from filtration plants far away because village water is no longer drinkable.”

Daily Struggles in Nowshera, Swabi and Mardan

For poor families, fetching water has become a daily ordeal.

Hussain Khan, a farmer from Mohib Banda village in Nowshera, travels nearly eight kilometers daily to collect clean drinking water.

“What was once available at our doorstep has become a burden,” he said.

Women and children are the most affected, spending hours each day collecting water instead of attending school or earning livelihoods.

Health Risks from Contaminated Water

Doctors warn that unsafe water is silently damaging public health.

Malik Riaz Khan, senior children’s specialist at Government Hospital Pabbi, reports rising cases of:

• Diarrhea
• Cholera
• Waterborne infections
• Child malnutrition

“Long-term consumption of polluted water leads to stunted growth and serious health complications, especially among children and lactating mothers,” he said.

Read WHO guidelines on drinking water safety: https://www.who.int

Pakistan’s Shrinking Per Capita Water Availability

Professor (retd) Dr. Naeem Khattak from the University of Peshawar highlights alarming statistics.

• Pakistan ranks 14th globally in water risk
• Per capita water availability dropped from 5,200 cubic meters (1960s) to nearly 1,000 cubic meters
• It may fall below 860 cubic meters, pushing Pakistan into absolute water scarcity

Pakistan also treats only 1% of wastewater, while nearly 40% of water is lost due to leakage and poor canal management.

Agriculture Under Severe Water Stress

Agriculture consumes nearly 97% of Pakistan’s freshwater.

Experts warn that without reform:

• 30% of farmland may become waterlogged
• 13% may turn saline

This threatens food security at a time when climate change is intensifying floods, glacier melt, and drought cycles in KP.

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Read more: Pakistan’s agriculture under climate stress

Why Pakistan Needs Small and Mega Dams

Former Conservator of Forests Tauheed Khan stresses the importance of water storage.

• World dams: 46,000+
• China: 22,000+
• Pakistan: only 150 dams since independence

“Small dams are cost-effective, quick to build, and ideal for KP,” he said.

By 2050, Pakistan will need 76 MAF of additional water, and small dams are the fastest solution.

Hope Through Water Infrastructure Projects

The Directorate of Small Dams KP reports progress:

• 56 small dams completed
• 30 under construction
• Jaroba Dam (Nowshera) and Pezu Dam (Lakki Marwat) nearing completion

At the federal level, the Mohmand Dam (800 MW) is expected to:

• Store 1.293 MAF water
• Supply 300 million gallons/day to Peshawar
• Irrigate thousands of acres
• Protect downstream districts from floods
• Generate clean electricity

Learn more about Mohmand Dam: https://www.wapda.gov.pk

Conclusion: A Race Against Time

For families like Hussain Khan’s, these projects represent hope—hope that taps will flow again, children will grow healthier, and villages will reclaim dignity.

The water crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is no longer a future threat—it is a present emergency. Without urgent action on population control, climate adaptation, water governance, and infrastructure development, Pakistan risks a future defined by thirst.