Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans.

Uses of
water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities.
Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water

97% of water on the Earth is salt water, leaving only 3% as fresh water of which slightly over
two thirds is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps.[1] The remaining unfrozen fresh water is
mainly found as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air.[2]

Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the world's supply of clean, fresh water is steadily
decreasing. Water demand already exceeds supply in many parts of the world and as the world
population continues to rise, so too does the water demand. Awareness of the global importance
of preserving water for ecosystem services has only recently emerged as, during the 20th
century, more than half the world’s wetlands have been lost along with their valuable
environmental services. Biodiversity-rich freshwater ecosystems are currently declining faster
than marine or land ecosystems.[3] The framework for allocating water resources to water users
(where such a framework exists) is known as water rights.

The concept of water stress is relatively simple: According to the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development, it applies to situations where there is not enough water for all uses,
whether agricultural, industrial or domestic. Defining thresholds for stress in terms of available
water per capita is more complex, however, entailing assumptions about water use and its
efficiency. Nevertheless, it has been proposed that when annual per capita renewable freshwater
availability is less than 1,700 cubic meters, countries begin to experience periodic or regular
water stress. Below 1,000 cubic meters, water scarcity begins to hamper economic development
and human health and well-being.

Population growth

Expansion of business activity

Rapid urbanization

Climate change

Depletion of aquifers

Pollution and water protection

According to the United Nations' "UN World Water Development Report", the total actual
renewable water resources decreased from 2,961 m³ per capita in 2000 to 1,420 m³ per capita in
2005. [1] A more recent study indicates an available supply of water of little more than 1,000 m³
per person, which puts Pakistan in the category of a high stress country. Using data from the
Pakistani federal government's Planning and Development Division, the overall water
availability has decreased from 1,299 m³ per capita in 1996-97 to 1,101 m³ per capita in 2004-05.
[2]
In view of growing population, urbanization and increased industrialization, the situation is
likely to get worse.[3] Nevertheless, excessive mining of groundwater goes on. Despite a lowering
water table, the annual growth rate of electric tubewells has been indicated to 6.7% and for diesel
tubewells to about 7.4%.[4] In addition, increasing pollution and saltwater intrusion threaten the
country's water resources. About 36% of the groundwater is classified as highly saline

Out of the 169,384 billion m³ of water which were withdrawn in 2000, 96% were used for
agricultural purposes, leaving 2% for domestic and another 2% for industrial use.[7] By far most
water is used for irrigated agriculture, emphasizing the particular significance of agriculture in
the country. The sector contributes about 25% of the Pakistan's GNP (2000-2001).[8] The country
still has the world's largest contiguous irrigation system.[9] In 1999-2000, the total irrigated area
in Pakistan was 181,000 km².[10]

Water is also essential for power generation in Pakistan, since about 29% is generated through
hydropower