Pakistan: President Calls For Improved Efficiency
Deploy More Satellite Resources For Water Management
27 Jan 2022 by The Water Diplomat
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
Pakistan President Dr. Arif Alvi has called for solutions for increased efficiency in water management in the country. He emphasised the importance of the use of new technology to monitor and manage water resources at a meeting on Employment of Integrated Satellite Communication and Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Water Management.
Climate change and rapid population growth has greatly reduced per capita availability of water. Kashif Kifayat Coordinator of Air University, a Pakistani public institution mostly dedicated to technology, confirmed that Pakistan is facing a severe water scarcity problem and estimated $12 Billion USD in annual losses to the economy caused by drought and floods.
It is believed that deployment of integrated satellite services would improve monitoring and contribute to more efficient utilization of water resources.
Pakistan is already ranked as one of the top 10 countries in the world with the lowest access to safe, clean water with about 40 Percent of all deaths in the country attributed to drinking contaminated water.
According to NGO WaterAid, 21 million people in Pakistan do not have access to clean water close to home and the country still sees 20,000 children dying every year from diarrhoea, an illness that can be drastically decreased by generalised access to clean water.
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