Abstract
Inhabited by almost 20 million people, Karachi, also known as the “city of lights”, houses almost 60 percent of the industries in Pakistan and is considered as the financial and industrial center of the country. The city contributes almost 12–15 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP), showing its significance in Pakistan’s economy. Unfortunately, with the increase in population, the city is facing a serious shortage of water supply. The current allocation of water among the city’s districts is not equitable, which has caused water scarcity and even riots in some areas. Surface water and ground water are the two primary sources of water supply in the city. The water supply provided by Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) is approximately 650 million gallons per day (MGD) against a demand of 480–866 million gallons per day (MGD), resulting in a serious shortfall. Keeping a holistic view in mind, this paper focuses specifically on proposing measures to address the gap in proposing concrete solutions to manage Karachi’s increasing water woes. It also proposes a water allocation mechanism and uses Nash bargaining theory to address the inefficient and unequal water distribution. Results indicate that our suggested policies and water allocation mechanism have the potential to simultaneously resolve the supply–demand mismatch and water shortage problems of the city.
Highlights
Marginalization and exclusion patterns are present all over the world, with persisting and stark inequalities in water access
This paper aims to explore the relationship between domestic water provision and inequality in the context of Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan
E is the limited available water resources reserve, which is not sufficient to satisfy the need of the stakeholders, whereas ci is the total amount of water claimed by the riparian units, and i ∈ N. x− is the amount of water allocated to the stakeholder
Summary
Marginalization and exclusion patterns are present all over the world, with persisting and stark inequalities in water access. Progress made in the sanitation and water sector does not always benefit those people who need these services the most, especially in underdeveloped countries. Duty bearers, and experts should aim at realizing the rights of all the people, with a particular focus on the excluded and marginalized. Apart from meaningful, active, and free participation for all, the conflict mechanism resolution, access to remedy, and accountability mechanisms should be in place [2]. These mechanisms should be appropriately implemented at the national level. A proper monitoring framework should be in place to track their progress [3]
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