Pakistan still water-insecure as over 80% lack access to safe drinking water: ADB report

Pakistan’s made a little headway over the last 12 years, but the country’s still in deep trouble when it comes to water. More than 80 percent of people don’t have clean drinking water.

The Asian Development Bank’s latest Asian Water Development Outlook lays it out: Pakistan’s water resources are stretched thin. 

The report, which covers water security across Asia-Pacific, points out how overusing groundwater for farming isn’t just draining reserves; it’s brought arsenic into the mix, too. People are still getting sick from dirty water. Waterborne diseases just aren’t going away.

Climate change keeps making things worse. Monsoons don’t follow any pattern anymore, glaciers are melting faster, and floods hit harder and more often.

The 2022 floods that forced millions from their homes? That’s just one brutal example of how exposed Pakistan really is. Water available per person has crashed — from 3,500 cubic meters back in 1972 down to just 1,100 by 2020.

Out in rural areas, the situation’s even tougher. Water services are patchy, oversight is weak, and pollution sticks around. Sure, hygiene and health stats have ticked up a bit, but those gains feel minor. On the economic side, Pakistan’s stuck with not enough storage, shrinking water per person, and over-reliance on groundwater that industries barely monitor.

Cities aren’t faring much better. Demand keeps growing, sewage goes untreated, and urban floods keep wrecking already strained infrastructure.

The environment’s taking a hit, too. With industrial waste pouring out unchecked and more people crowding in, natural ecosystems are fading.

When it comes to disasters like floods and droughts, things haven’t really improved. The country still faces major risks from floods, droughts, and glacial lake outbursts. Communities get hit over and over.

There are some bright spots. Pakistan’s national water security score climbed by 6.4 points from 2013 to 2025. Water governance also looks better — policy alignment with integrated water management has gone up, from 50 percent in 2017 to 63 percent in 2023.