Pakistan listed among drought-hit countries by UN

NEW YORK: United Nations has listed Pakistan among 23 countries on Sunday which are facing drought emergencies .

According to the report released by the United Nations Conven­tion to Combat Desertifica­tion (UNCCD) stated that 23 countries, including Pakistan, have experienced drought emergencies in the last two years.

The 23 countries listed by the report include Afghanistan, Angola, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi,Moza­m­bique, Niger, Somalia, Sou­th Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, the United States and Zambia.

The report also stated that an additional 4 million square kilometres will need to be rehabilitated by 2050 while emphasising the need to provide immediate funding to developing countries.

The present crisis should be a wake-up call for federal and provincial authorities. It is time they took stock of Pakistan’s biggest existential challenge and crafted holistic policies to improve governance in the water sector, built reservoirs for times of shortages, and improved the water transmission infrastructure.

The authorities must realise that we are running short of time and options, just like we are running out of water.