WASHINGTON: The World Bank on Wednesday has approved $200 million to initiate water management projects in Balochistan, according to a report.
The project would be initiated under the ‘Balochistan Integrated Water Resources Management and Development Project’ (BIWRSD) which will benefit some 43,000 farm households in the province.
The amount will be invested in two of the eighteen basins in Balochistan’s Nari and Porali river basins.
The development project is also financed by the International Development Association.
Earlier in May, a new report from World Bank had warned that in coming 35 years the water scarcity may lead to massive migrations, trigger global conflicts and be a significant impediment in economic growth.
The areas in which drought is not yet an issue (like Central Africa and East Asia) will face a drop in the resources. Whereas, the situation will get much worse in areas like the Middle East and African Sahel that are already facing the threat of water scarcity.
This deficiency of water may also cause a decline in agriculture, health, and incomes up to 6% in GDP.
“Water scarcity is a major threat to economic growth and stability around the world and climate change is making the problem worse,” said the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim.
