IWMI organises workshop on future water availability for Okara

• The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) organised a stakeholders’ workshop.
• The Punjab Water Act 2019 is a key legislation to regulate water use.
• Dr Mohsin Hafeez, the country representative of Pakistan IWMI and project leader.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) organised a stakeholders’ workshop on future water availability for Okara district at IWMI Pakistan’s field office in Okara, a statement said.

The Punjab Water Act 2019 is a key legislation to regulate water use and provide enabling policy support for its sustainability across Punjab province; however at the district level, in Okara, the knowledge and understanding of the Act is limited.

The workshop was organised as part of the Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan (WRAP) Programme Component 1: Climate Resilient Solutions for Improving Water Governance (CRS-IWaG), implemented by IWMI Pakistan with funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Dr Mohsin Hafeez, the country representative of Pakistan IWMI and project leader, gave an overview of the programme and the ways it would benefit district Okara

According to him, “Okara is the pilot district where different interventions related to water governance such as groundwater monitoring, water accounting, water allocation system, and irrigation demand management shall be introduced. There is strong ownership of the proposed interventions by the government and hopefully they’ll be replicated to other districts of Punjab, once successfully piloted.”

Dr Muhammad Javed, director, Social and Environment Management, Strategic Planning and Reform Unit (SPRU), Punjab Irrigation Department (PID), gave a presentation on water-related challenges in Punjab and the salient features of Punjab Water Act 2019.

Dr Maqsood Ahmad, director, Training/Lahore office, On Farm Water Management (OFWM), PID gave a presentation on the significance of Punjab Water Act 2019 for the agriculture sector.

Kanwal Waqar, a researcher, gender and youth specialist, IWMI Pakistan, in her presentation informed that around 70 per cent women are involved in the agriculture sector but their contribution is not recognised.

She called for adopting gender inclusive and equitable approach in policies, programmes and activities.

Dr Abdur Rehman Cheema, regional researcher, Water Governance and Institutional Specialist, IWMI Pakistan, moderated a roundtable dialogue on ways to address water governance, social inclusion and sustainability in the water sector.

Farmers and urban water users actively participated in the dialogue.

Officials from the district government, PID, OFWM, Public Health Engineering Department, tehsil municipal administration, urban households, farmers, academia and media participated in the workshop.

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