{
  "id": 2070527,
  "title": "NA speaker calls for national consensus on water crisis, sustainable recycling systems",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/na-speaker-calls-for-national-consensus-on-water-crisis-sustainable",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T03:55:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2023959/na-speaker-calls-for-national-consensus-on-water-crisis-sustainable-recycling-systems"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq emphasized the urgent need for a unified approach and long-term strategies to tackle Pakistan's water crisis, advocating for sustainable development instead of temporary solutions. He urged both federal and provincial governments to prioritize water harvesting and introduce sustainable water recycling systems to replenish groundwater and safeguard vital water resources. Sadiq stressed that political disagreements must be set aside to achieve a nationwide consensus on the water issue, asserting that \"water security is human security, economic security and national security.\"\n\nAt a parliamentary seminar on water governance, titled \"Evidence from Local, Low-Cost Solutions for Water Security and Flood Resilience,\" organized by the Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sadiq highlighted water conservation's crucial role in Pakistan's food security, economic stability, and national security. He advocated for the construction of water reservoirs and small dams and stressed the importance of strong cooperation between federal and provincial governments for efficient water resource management. Sadiq stressed the significance of implementing the National Water Policy and institutional coordination to ensure sustainable water management, calling for transparent use of funds allocated for water-related projects.\n\nSadiq emphasized that responsible investment, modern technology, waste reduction, and groundwater restoration are vital components of a comprehensive water-security strategy. He pointed out that water is no longer just a sectoral issue but has become a critical matter of national security, stressing that ensuring access to clean water is a collective national responsibility. He also criticized India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty as a direct breach of international law.\n\nFederal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary pointed out that Pakistan had not constructed a new water reservoir in the past 50 years, emphasizing the necessity to boost the storage capacity of existing reservoirs and build new ones to address the country's limited and increasingly scarce water resources due to climate change impacts. He expressed concern over the decline in development financing, noting that the PSDP (Pakistan's Spending on Development Projects) had dropped from 2.6% of GDP in 2018 to 0.6% in 2026. Chaudhary stressed the need for effective use of PSDP, enhanced local government financing, and robust disaster-risk financing to scale up proven local solutions nationwide. The seminar gathered MNAs, administrative officers, and representatives from UNDP, World Bank, WaterAid, and Unicef.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq highlighted the critical need for a nationwide consensus and enduring policies to resolve Pakistan’s water crisis, emphasising sustainable development over provisional measures. The speaker called for making water harvesting a priority for both the federal and provincial governments. He further stressed the need to introduce sustainable water…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}