Experts urge investment in water storage infrastructure and rainwater harvesting to capture vast monsoon resources and strengthen groundwater reserves.
Pakistan has a significant opportunity to enhance its water security by effectively utilizing nearly 83 million acre-feet (MAF) of monsoon rainfall through improved storage facilities and rainwater harvesting systems, according to water experts speaking to Wealth Pakistan.
Specialists highlighted that a large portion of the country’s seasonal rainfall remains untapped despite its potential to replenish groundwater reserves, support agricultural activities, and reduce the risk of devastating floods.
They stressed that strategic investments in water conservation infrastructure could help Pakistan address its growing water challenges.
Pakistan receives approximately 111 MAF of rainfall annually, with around 83 MAF arriving during the monsoon season. However, the country currently stores only about 14 MAF in major reservoirs such as Tarbela, Mangla, and Chashma.
Experts believe this gap underscores the urgent need to expand water storage capacity and improve water management practices.
Dr. Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of the Irrigation Research Institute Punjab, said Pakistan can significantly improve water availability by combining large-scale and localized storage solutions.
He noted that recharge basins, recharge ponds, recharge wells, check dams, flood-spreading basins, and injection wells are among the most effective methods for conserving monsoon water and restoring depleted groundwater resources.
While emphasizing the importance of major dams for long-term storage, Dr. Sial also advocated the construction of small and medium-sized dams, hill torrent dams, and delay action dams to capture rainwater that would otherwise flow unused into rivers and the sea.
He further pointed out that major cities, including Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi, offer considerable potential for rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, underground storage tanks, and recharge pits. Such measures could help restore aquifers that are increasingly under pressure due to rapid urbanization.
According to Dr. Sial, expanding urban infrastructure and concrete surfaces have reduced natural groundwater recharge, causing rainwater to be quickly diverted into drainage systems.
Strengthening rainwater harvesting initiatives would not only improve water availability but also help reduce urban flooding.
Sohail Ali Naqvi, Director Water Resources at WWF-Pakistan, said the country can also benefit from storing floodwater in natural floodplains alongside engineered infrastructure such as dams.
He noted that Pakistan extracts more than 55 MAF of groundwater annually for agricultural, domestic, and commercial purposes, creating an opportunity to replenish aquifers through managed recharge techniques.
Naqvi emphasized that artificial recharge wells, developed by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources and promoted by WWF-Pakistan and other institutions, have proven effective in enhancing groundwater reserves.
He added that maximizing the use of rainwater, surface water, and groundwater is becoming increasingly important amid uncertainty surrounding transboundary water resources.
Experts believe the monsoon season presents Pakistan with a valuable opportunity to secure additional water supplies for agriculture and other sectors while building long-term resilience against water scarcity.