Water management and conservation practices in Aird Zone: A case study of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Abstract

Water is the basic and vital source of life. Water Resource Management has become a key factor regarding a sustainable use of this resource. It is not only a matter of providing potable water. It is an imminent ecological, economic and social factor. Population of regions across the world suffers from acute water shortage. This situation will intensify due to climatic change and increasing population growth rate that caused a significant higher demand of potable water especially in arid regions. The precipitation is negligible to countervail the extraction of groundwater. The research study focuses on water resource and its management in arid region of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. The objective of the research is to find out the major source of water in the city and the method of water supply through city administration. It is also in focus to analyze the demand of water management through taxation in two research areas of different supply situation, because it is an immense issue regarding the sustainability of demand and supply system of water in Arid Zone. Findings of the paper reveal ground water as a major source of potable water that not only use domestically but also in agriculture. The water management composition of the city reflects huge gap of ground water management and its demand in Bahawalpur City, where as conservation practices of water are in practice