The Interplay of Water Scarcity and Non-Traditional Security in Pakistan

Abstract

This study explores the intricate relationship between water scarcity and non-traditional security threats in Pakistan, highlighting the growing urgency of sustainable water management in the face of climate change, population growth, and geopolitical challenges. Unlike traditional security threats cantered on military concerns, non-traditional security encompasses broader issues such as food insecurity, environmental degradation, economic instability, and social unrest, all of which are exacerbated by water scarcity. The paper analyzes how Pakistan's dwindling water resources, driven by inefficient irrigation practices, transboundary water tensions (particularly with India over the Indus Waters Treaty), and urbanization, are creating multidimensional threats to human security. It also examines the socio-political consequences of water insecurity, including rural-urban migration, interprovincial tensions, and the potential for civil strife. Using a qualitative approach grounded in policy analysis and empirical evidence, the study underscores the need for an integrated water governance framework that combines effective institutional mechanisms, regional cooperation, and public awareness initiatives. It argues that addressing water scarcity must go beyond infrastructural solutions to encompass legal, technological, and behavioural dimensions. The research concludes that water security is not merely an environmental concern but a national security imperative. It calls for a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s policy approach viewing water as a strategic asset and investing in sustainable resource management as a tool to pre-empt non-traditional security risks. The study contributes to the growing discourse on environmental security and offers policy recommendations tailored to Pakistan’s unique hydrological and geopolitical context.

Keywords: Water Scarcity, Non-Traditional Security, Pakistan, Indus Waters Treaty, Climate Change, Water Governance, Human Security, Environmental Conflict, Trans boundary Water, Sustainable Management