Water, Agrarian and Power Problems of Pakistan

 
PIIS032150750011109-1-1
DOI10.31857/S032150750011109-1
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Occupation: Head of the Centre for the Study of Near and Middle Eastern Countries, Institute of Oriental Studies
Affiliation: Centre for the Study of Near and Middle Eastern Countries, Institute of Oriental Studies
Address: Moscow, Russian Federation
Journal nameAsia and Africa Today
EditionIssue 10
Pages34-40
Abstract

Issues are analyzed in the article through the prism of historical retrospective. The author briefly traces the inpact of the colonial rule and indicates stages of economic development in Pakistan since independence. He concludes that in spite of formidable results in land irrigation and reclamation the country is confronted with acute and in some respects intractable problems of water usage against the background of stagnation in the growth of agricultural crops and weakening of productive ties between agriculture and manufacturing, especially the latter’s textile sector. 

At the same time the so-called inner circle of agricultural integration has strengthened. It is constituted by multiple connections between growth of crops and keeping livestock. The proportion of crops in the value added by agriculture in GDP (gross domestic product) has diminished since 1950-60s from more than 60 to less than 40 percent. Husbandry constitutes now the larger part of agriculture while shares of all commodity producing sectors came down to the two fifth of GDP.

The hydrel power played the leading role at the initial stages of electricity production. Its share shrank to 25 percent primarily due to a long pause in the contstruction of big hydropower stations after the completion of the Tarbela complex in the 1970s. The author underscores that the pause was due to conflicting interests of the major provinces (Punjab, Sind and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and to the international dispute over the former Indian princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The now ready for implementation project of Diamer-Bhasha hydro-thermal station in the Pakistani part of Jammu and Kashmir exacerbates tensions of Pakistan with India and of India with China who has reportedly agreed to assist in building the dam.

Keywords Pakistan, water scarcity, agricultural transformation, hydrel power, India, China
Publication date22.10.2020
Number of characters28394
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