Political economy of groundwater exploitation in Balochistan

Abstract

In the Balochistan province of Pakistan, electric agricultural tube wells uses the major share of electricity. The government’s past and current policies of groundwater development and electricity subsidies aimed to develop communities through groundwater use for agriculture purpose caused the over-exploitation of this resource resulted in the enormous growth of electric tube wells. The benefits of these policies were an increase in the area and production of high value horticulture, more employment opportunities and increased incomes. The shortcomings of these policies were the over-exploitation of the groundwater from the aquifers and the water tables substantial decline, the demise of kareze irrigation system, wasteful water use and over-production of fruits, vegetables and crops. Today, when out of 18 hydrological basins, 12 are overdrawn in Balochistan; the government policy of groundwater development through subsidizing electricity continues and solar energy tube wells are also encouraged. The electricity subsidy is still continued with the inclusion of more tube wells in the subsidy net. Surprisingly, the provincial government’s focus only seems to be on augmenting the supply of water through allocating more money for the construction of water storage dams and finding other alternate supply sources of water supply to urban centers with no concentration on demand management of the available groundwater. The obvious reasons for this are the political incentives faced by decision makers, lack of political will, poor institutional and administrative capacity, insufficient legislation and less awareness.