Pakistan’s environmental health crisis disproportionately affects women, who face heightened risks from floods, air pollution, contaminated water, and climate change–related disasters. Women bear the brunt of domestic and caregiving responsibilities, exposing them to respiratory, reproductive, and waterborne illnesses. Unsafe water and poor sanitation further amplify these burdens, particularly during floods and in low-income settlements. Climate change intensifies these hazards, increasing floods, droughts, and extreme weather events that threaten lives and livelihoods. Addressing these challenges requires gender-responsive policies and inclusive governance that integrate women’s experiences into environmental and health planning.

Water scarcity in Pakistan is no longer a distant risk but a current crisis, as groundwater depletion outpaces natural recharge. This blog explains why groundwater recharge is vital, drawing on global best practices like check dams in India, rooftop harvesting in Nepal, and sand filter systems in Bangladesh, while revisiting Pakistan’s traditional methods such as Karez and Rod Kohi. Highlighting initiatives in Lahore, Islamabad, Sindh, and Balochistan, it emphasizes the need to scale both community-led solutions and advanced Managed Aquifer Recharge systems. The piece calls for policy reform, innovation, and public engagement framing groundwater recharge as a national priority for long-term water security.