Bart Schultz
In connection with proposed projects in the Indus River Basin in Pakistan, I was involved in three World Bank missions. The first involved assessing a preliminary study for a National Surface Drainage System (NSDS). The Left Bank Outfall Drain was already in place in Pakistan at the time. It is important to note that drainage in English refers to the entire water flow chain from the land to the outlet in a river or the sea, not just agricultural drainage as we know it. The NSDS involved a long discharge canal on the southern edge of Pakistan to drain excess water from extreme rainfall and from irrigation areas to the Arabian Sea. The intention was to extend this canal significantly upstream. Essentially, we felt this would be a very costly and ineffective measure. Therefore, to my knowledge, the canal was never built.
The second mission involved assessing the draft Drainage Master Plan for Pakistan. This plan represented a kind of national approach to drainage. Because flooding occurred frequently in the Indus River Basin and the discharge of excess irrigation water often left much to be desired, there was a pressing need for such a master plan. Although the draft report recognized significant problems with the management and maintenance of the country's drainage systems, all proposed measures focused on constructing new systems. Incidentally, this was an approach advocated in many developing countries at the end of the last century and the beginning of the current one. Subsequently, the newly constructed systems were not properly managed and maintained, and after a few years, they fell into disrepair.
We therefore recommended first establishing a proper management and maintenance system and then assessing which new systems would be most necessary. We did, however, recommend immediate improvements to the canals and dikes in the Indus Delta, where flooding and significant erosion of discharge canal banks were occurring. The recent flooding in the delta, partly due to dike breaches around several polders, also played a role in this. During one of our meetings with the local community, we were treated to a friendly demonstration. Our recommendation was duly incorporated into the final report. The question, of course, is whether it has been implemented in practice.
The third assignment consisted of three parts. Three Pakistani consulting firms were commissioned to conduct studies and formulate recommendations on the Water Escapes Below Kotri Barrage. Essentially, these were environmental studies on the minimum amount of water that should be discharged to the sea through the Kotri Barrage to maintain a healthy coastal environment. Commissioned by the World Bank and the Pakistani Federal Flood Commission - effectively a ministry - we were to review the draft reports in three phases: at the beginning, midway, and end of the studies. This proved to be a very interesting assignment for several reasons.
During the first mission, it quickly became clear to us that the studies weren't initiated solely for environmental reasons, but primarily to address water distribution between the provinces, linked to irrigation and agricultural interests. We then had to present our findings at meetings at the Ministry. Representatives from the provinces were also present, alongside staff from the Ministry. Interestingly, each provincial team included someone who seemingly had to oppose everything. A man in one of the provinces would shout at every meeting: No drop of water from agriculture to the environment!
After many discussions, local visits, and the necessary meetings at the Ministry, we presented our findings at the final meeting. We had drafted a proposal for water distribution under normal circumstances, reserving 10 MAF (million acre feet) of water, approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters, for the environment. We also proposed that, during dry periods, the available water for agriculture and nature should be proportionally reduced. To my surprise, the man thanked me afterwards and said, Mr. Schultz, 10 MAF is OK. Our proposal was apparently close enough to his no drop of water.
