One out of three Pakistanis will face a water crisis by 2020

By 2020, one out of every three Pakistanis would face a water crisis, as the per capita water in Pakistan that was 5,000 m3 in 1947 has reduced to 1,200 m3 to date and would decrease to the level of 800 m3 by 2020.

According to Dr. Farrukh Saleem, Executive Director, Centre for Research and Security Studies, 80 per cent of the earth's surface was water, 97 per cent of all water was salt water, only three per cent of all water was drinking water and of this three per cent, two per cent was currently frozen.

He was addressing a seminar on 'Pakistan's Water Management and Security' on the occasion of the World Day for Water 2008.

The Nation quoted Syed Jamaat Ali Shah, Indus Water Commissioner, as saying the Indian Government had blocked the canal water in 1948 that brought both countries to the brink of a war.