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By Samina Chaudhary
Islamabad, August 9 (app): With the right infrastructure and the strict enforcement of the green building code, Pakistan could capture over 30 trillion liters (7.9 trillion gallons) rainwater annually, enough to reduce urban water stress, to load the groundwater, and to build resilience against the deterioration of the air conditioning.
Experts say that the solution is simple, scalable and is already falling from heaven. A modest roof of 1,000 square meters can collect around 60,000 liters (15,850 gallons) per year with moderate precipitation, which is sufficient to cover the basic water requirement of a small household for several months. The national rainwater harvest potential is scaled via the Pakistani huge roofs, arable land and catchment areas and is almost transformative.
Rainwater use has long been a lifeline in the dry regions of Pakistan. In Cholistan, a network of 110 small reservoirs records 440 million gallons annually, which prevents mass migration, animal losses and water conductor costs and saves the economy Fast RS. 6 billion a year. In Tharparkar, where water shortages have caused a high child mortality and the seasonal shift in the past, rainwater systems as well as the saline solution and the deep fountain are already changing the local livelihood.
Now this traditional rural practice is being transformed into a national political imperative.
In a pioneering step, the Bundeskabinett officially approved the green building code of Pakistan (GBCP-2023) and its provisions for rainwater use, which makes it mandatory for all new residential, commercial and industrial constructions to install rainwater collection systems.
The guideline is integrated in the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) -Laws and reflects a shift of voluntary eco practices to legally enforceable building standards.
From private houses and apartment blocks to shopping centers and factories, all new developments must now be included:
Rainwater harvest systems on the roof
Filtration and underground warehouse tanks
Green roofs and solar panel integration
Use of environmentally friendly, water -efficient building materials
Design planning with building cleaning model (BIM) for water and energy efficiency.
Pakistan is one of the ten best countries that are most susceptible to climate change and water shortages. Large cities such as Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Rawalpindi lose more than 3 feet of groundwater every year.
Only 1 inch rain on a roof of 1,000 m² can result in 600 gallons water.
In Islamabad's 30-inch precipitation, that's 18,000 gallons per roof.
Scaling it on buildings and housing companies and you save hundreds of thousands of gallons every year.
In the urban infrastructure of the Pakistanists, the entire national rainwater harvest potential exceeds 7 trillion gallons annually.
“Rainwater harvest is not new. What is new is our urgency,” said Dr. Bashir Ahmed, Director of the Climate Energy & Water Research Institute (CEWRI), who speaks to the app. “The recent approval of the cabinet enables legal support to this practice, it is now about implementation on a scale,” he suggested his strict enforcement.
Dr. Ejaz Ahmed, an expert in environmental policy, said with the app: “Urban Groundwater is in the crises. The green building code is a blueprint for cities that want to survive in the next decade. This political initiative could become an instrument in Pakistan against the deterioration of climate challenges and the growth of water lack.”
While the approval of the cabinet is a breakthrough, experts emphasize that enforcement, commitment in the community and on the local capacity structure are of essential importance. The most important steps are the next steps:
Incentives for retrofitting old buildings with rainwater systems
Public educational campaigns for water consumption and the maintenance of systems
Training for architects and engineers about environmentally compliant designs
Local monitoring to ensure compliance with compliance and maintenance of the system
The newly approved green building code represents more than a change in the building law – it is a national strategy for climate -like. Pakistan is no longer waiting for solutions from abroad. By investing in locals, natural -based solutions such as rainwater harvesting, the country creates a future in which every drop is valued, contributes to every building and plays a role in every citizen.
All over the world, rainwater use has proven to be a proven solution for water shortages and climate efficacy. In Australia, it is legally necessary in many new buildings and has helped the cities to cope with longer droughts. India's mandatory rainwater systems in urban areas such as Tamil Nadu led to a remarkable increase in groundwater levels within a few years. Despite limited land and without natural freshwater sources, Singapore captures rain of over two thirds of his surface to supplement his national care. Germany and parts of the United States promote the harvest through financial incentives, reduce the pressure on rainwater systems and the lowering of the water invoices.
Because in view of the climate aatility, every drop really counts