Pakistan has been blessed with numerous rivers which are crucial for its agricultural-based economy. However, the headworks of these rivers are located in neighbouring India who time and again can restrict the water from the upper riparian to the lower riparian.
Apart from the geographical bottlenecks faced by Pakistan’s hydropower potential, there are numerous administrative hurdles as well. The potential of hydro-power in Pakistan is 60,000 MW. Out of this entire potential, only a meagre 9,387 MW is tapped while the rest remains utilized.
The country’s prime institution which deals with water-derived energy is Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has been unable to explore the maximum potential of Pakistan’s hydropower since its inception.
In addition, the private sector has been struggling to develop 5,000 MW of electricity for the past 10 years. If bureaucratic delays and administrative hurdles are removed, the sector has the potential to increase its production to 15,000 MW in the coming decade.
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