ISLAMABAD: Pakistan could strengthen its water security by drawing lessons from China’s long-term investment in water infrastructure, maintenance and integrated management as ageing irrigation networks, limited storage and climate pressures deepen the country’s water challenges, experts say.
China invested more than 515 billion yuan in water conservancy projects during the first half of 2026, supporting flood control, irrigation and water security while creating more than 1.3 million jobs. Pakistan, meanwhile, is ranked among the world’s most water-stressed countries and continues to face infrastructure deterioration, water losses and pressure on groundwater resources.
Water experts told Wealth Pakistan that China’s experience offers useful lessons, particularly in maintaining existing infrastructure and planning for long-term climate resilience. They cautioned, however, that Pakistan would need to adapt those lessons to its own environmental, institutional and economic conditions rather than simply replicate China’s model.
Maintenance Key to Pakistan’s Water Security
Mohsin Laghari, a senior water policy expert and former Punjab irrigation minister, said Pakistan’s water crisis cannot be addressed through new construction alone.
He said sustained investment is needed to preserve and modernise existing water assets while improving water-use efficiency.
According to Laghari, China’s approach shows how infrastructure development can be combined with preventive maintenance, integrated water management and climate resilience.
“By adopting a long-term asset stewardship model, Pakistan can improve water-use efficiency, strengthen agricultural productivity, enhance climate resilience, generate employment and build sustainable water security,” he said.
Laghari said Punjab’s century-old canal network supports an agricultural economy estimated at Rs4 trillion to Rs5 trillion annually at the farm gate, making its maintenance critical to food production and rural livelihoods.
However, he said years of inadequate maintenance spending have contributed to higher water losses and growing infrastructure risks.
Punjab has allocated around Rs8.9 billion for maintaining irrigation infrastructure estimated to be worth about Rs4 trillion, according to Laghari. The province expects irrigation receipts of Rs43.6 billion in 2026-27, but only a limited share has been allocated for repairs and maintenance.
Irrigation Losses Put Agriculture Under Pressure
The Indus Basin Irrigation System supports more than 90% of Pakistan’s agricultural production, but Laghari said nearly half of the water released at canal heads is lost before reaching farms because of inefficiencies across the irrigation network.
Pakistan’s increasing reliance on an estimated 1.4 million private tubewells is also adding pressure on groundwater resources, he said.
Improving canal reliability, modernising irrigation infrastructure and strengthening transparency in water management could help reduce losses while supporting agricultural productivity and climate resilience.
Laghari said China’s experience also demonstrates the importance of providing reliable financing for infrastructure maintenance and reinvesting water-related revenues into improving irrigation networks and services.
Pakistan Needs Its Own Water Management Model
Dr Abubakr Muhammad, Executive Director of the Centre for Water Informatics and Technology at LUMS, said Pakistan can learn from China’s water management experience but should develop solutions suited to local conditions.
He said China has a long history of treating irrigation and flood control as major state responsibilities, with successive governments investing in canals, dams and other infrastructure to protect communities, support agriculture and promote economic development.
China’s modern water programme builds on that approach through large-scale engineering while increasingly incorporating climate adaptation and nature-based solutions, he said.
Pakistan’s water infrastructure developed under different historical and institutional circumstances, with significant parts of its irrigation network dating back to the colonial period.
Dr Abubakr said Pakistan should therefore avoid simply copying China’s engineering model and instead build a broader water strategy based on effective governance, environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
“Pakistan can and should learn from China’s experience, as well as from other countries, but adopting techniques alone will not be enough unless there is a collective vision, clear priorities and a long-term commitment to sustainable water management,” he said.
Experts say Pakistan’s growing water pressures are unlikely to be resolved through isolated infrastructure projects. Long-term investment, regular maintenance, stronger institutions and integrated management will be central to improving water security, protecting agricultural production and strengthening resilience to climate change.
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