By Uzma Ehtasham
For much of Pakistan, climate change is often discussed in terms of rising temperatures, longer heatwaves and increasingly unpredictable rainfall. In Balochistan, however, the crisis has become far more personal. It is measured by empty wells, dry taps and the daily search for water. Across Pakistan’s largest province, shrinking groundwater reserves, prolonged droughts, devastating floods and the collapse of centuries-old irrigation systems are combining to create an unprecedented water emergency. From the crowded streets of Quetta to the flood-hit plains of Nasirabad and the date orchards of Makran, communities are finding it harder each year to secure enough water for drinking, farming and everyday life.
The crisis extends far beyond climate change alone. Years of rapid population growth, expanding urban settlements, excessive groundwater extraction and weak water management have intensified the pressure on already limited resources, leaving millions increasingly vulnerable. Nowhere is the challenge more visible than in Quetta, where groundwater levels are declining by an estimated two to five metres every year. As underground reserves continue to shrink, thousands of households have become dependent on private water tankers or are forced to travel long distances to collect water from public sources.
In neighbourhoods such as Baloch Colony, women and children carrying plastic containers and metal pots regularly wait outside houses where water is available. For many families, purchasing water is no longer an emergency measure but a weekly expense that consumes a growing share of household income. The cost of water continues to rise. Residents say tanker prices vary across different parts of the city, but a single delivery now typically costs between Rs2,500 and Rs3,000, placing it beyond the reach of many low-income families. Operators attribute the increase to rising fuel prices and transport costs, while residents say inflation has made an already difficult situation even harder to manage.
Water vendors have effectively become an essential public service in Quetta, filling a gap left by declining groundwater and an overstretched supply system. Yet reliance on private tankers has created another inequality, as access to water increasingly depends on a family’s ability to pay. Environmental experts warn that Quetta’s crisis has been decades in the making. Once known as “Little London” during the British colonial period because of its pleasant climate and green surroundings, the city has undergone rapid expansion without a corresponding increase in water infrastructure. Population growth and the spread of housing developments have steadily increased demand while natural groundwater reserves have continued to decline.
Climate change has accelerated this trend by reducing rainfall and disrupting seasonal weather patterns that once helped recharge underground aquifers. As dry spells become longer and temperatures continue to rise, the province’s already fragile water resources face mounting pressure. Elsewhere in Balochistan, the impact of climate change takes a different but equally destructive form. In Nasirabad, one of the province’s most important agricultural regions, repeated flooding has displaced thousands of families over the past two decades. Villages have been washed away, crops destroyed and livelihoods shattered.
Paradoxically, many communities surrounded by floodwater still struggle to obtain safe drinking water. Damaged infrastructure and displacement have left families dependent on distant water sources, forcing children to spend hours each day collecting water instead of attending school or helping rebuild their homes. The contrast highlights the growing extremes brought about by climate change, where devastating floods and severe water shortages now exist side by side. The province’s water emergency has also placed one of South Asia’s oldest engineering achievements at risk. For centuries, Balochistan’s underground karez system channelled groundwater from mountain aquifers to villages through gravity, supplying farms with a reliable source of irrigation while minimising water loss through evaporation.
The system sustained generations of farming communities and helped transform Makran into one of Pakistan’s leading producers of dates. Today, much of that network has fallen silent. As groundwater levels have declined, many karez channels have dried up completely. The collapse of this traditional irrigation system has sharply reduced agricultural production, forcing farmers to abandon orchards that once supported entire communities. Many have migrated to towns and cities in search of alternative livelihoods after losing the means to sustain their farms. The disappearance of the karez system represents more than the loss of an ancient technology. It signals the gradual erosion of a way of life that sustained Balochistan’s rural economy for centuries and connected communities to the province’s unique landscape.
Scientists and environmental specialists warn that the province’s water crisis will continue to worsen unless urgent action is taken. Climate change is progressing faster than local water systems can adapt, while population growth and unsustainable groundwater extraction continue to widen the gap between demand and supply. Without sustained investment in water conservation, climate adaptation, groundwater recharge, modern infrastructure and the restoration of traditional irrigation systems, access to water is likely to become one of the defining challenges facing Balochistan in the years ahead. For millions of people across the province, the struggle for every drop has already become an unavoidable part of daily life.
(The writer is a public health professional, journalist, and possesses expertise in health communication, having keen interest in national and international affairs, can be reached at uzma@metro-morning.com)
