"Promoting IWRM Gomal Damaan Area "
Gomal Damaan
Area Water Partnership
GDAWP
Bringing interested citizens and water users together, providing a neutral forum focusing on
water related issues and challenges, and becoming a part of the solution for long-term water
quality improvement and conservation in a non-regulatory way, in this connection improving
water quality and quantity providing for a clean and healthy future for ourselves and
future generations.
Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership GDAWP
MISSION
 Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) is dedicated to
building and sustaining local capacity through education,
assistance, and advocacy in order to enhance, restore, and protect
the natural resources of the Gomal Damaan Area watershed.
 Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) is also working to
address the environmental and natural resource issues, along with
other political and social obstacles affecting the Gomal River and
Indus River watershed.
 Enthusiastic and energetic members of steering committee Gomal
Damaan Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) are committed and
devoted to bring Global Water Partnership, Pakistan Water
Partnership along with other national and International organizations
/ institutions related with water issues to one framework for action to
the ultimate satisfaction of stakeholders.
Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership GDAWP
GOALS
 Gomal
Damaan Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) is committed to
bringing greater public awareness to the water problems facing society
today.
 Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) support the
sustainable development and management of water resources at all
levels.
Introduction & Presentation on
GDAWP
In the area many organization working on
water related projects, but we are not
eying towards preservation and storage of
water.
He elaborated that the area of DAMAAN
situated in the surroundings of Dera Ismail
Khan & TANK, where no other sources of
irrigation has except rain fed and spate
irrigation.
The area of DAMMAN is in worst condition
and extremely vulnerable regarding
drinking water, even the community is
bound to use the ponds water which is
highly contaminated due to animal fasces.
The area is facing extreme water scarcity.
In this way there is outmost need to work
on this subject.
Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership GDAWP
CHALLENGES
Water is crucial for food security and human well being. Lack of access by the poor to
adequate, safe and reliable supplies of water, and safe sanitation limits options to improve
their livelihoods.
Climate change is one of the most formidable challenges faced by the global community.
Urbanisation, demographics, environmental degradation and lack of essential services also
place huge demands on water managers. Without prompt action, such challenges may
trigger conflicts.
Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership
GDAWP
COMMITMENT
The Gomal Damaan Area Water
Partnership
(GDAWP)
steering
committee membership represents
a diverse group of stakeholders from
non - profit organizations and
community groups to governmental
agencies. Partners in this combined
effort are:
 Water security is the cornerstone
of economic growth. It cuts across a
wide range of sectors agriculture,
industry, mining, energy, domestic
supplies, health, and education.
Sustainable development will not happen
without improvements in water resources
management. The risk of climate change
exacerbates the situation because water is
the primary medium through which climate
change will threaten the livelihoods and wellbeing of societies. Investing in water
management contributes right now to
poverty reduction and longer term to climate
resilience and sustainable development.
A Major Developmental Challenge for the 21st Century
It is a fact that water security is a major developmental challenge for the 21st
century, throughout the world the water table is going down. Today around 3800
km3 of fresh water is withdrawn annually from the world’s lakes, rivers, and
aquifers. This is twice the volume extracted 50 years ago. In both the cases human
factor is crucial. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) water
use has raised six fold since 1900, more than double the rate of population growth.
With the world's population projected to top 8 billion by 2025 from 5.7 billion now,
freshwater supplies will not be able to keep pace with rate of growth in population.
Even conservative estimates indicate that the population of Pakistan will grow to
208 million by the year 2025. About 50 per cent of the population will be living in
the urban areas thus exerting additional pressure on the already strained existing
facilities. Situation at present is very precarious due to our typical lethargic
policies. Our political leadership must wake up before it is too late.
An ambitious study conducted by Carnegie Corporation of New York USA
projected Pakistan as severely water scarce country in South Asia in 2025.
Pakistan will require 335 billion cubic meters of water whereas it will have no more
than 233 billion cubic meters available. We need to appeal to the government and
all non-government organizations to come forward and formulate united efforts to
put an end to shortfall of 102 billion cubic meters.
Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership
GDAWP
CHALLENGES
Water is crucial for food
security and human well being.
Lack of access by the poor to
adequate, safe and reliable
supplies of water, and safe
sanitation limits options to
improve their livelihoods.
 Climate change is one of the
most
formidable
challenges
faced by the global community.
Urbanisation,
demographics,
environmental degradation and
lack of essential services also
place huge demands on water
managers.
Without
prompt
action, such challenges may
trigger conflicts.
Gomal
GOMAL, or Gumal, the name of a river of Afghanistan, and of a mountain
pass on the Dera Ismail Khan border of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK
Province of British India. The Gomal river, one of the most important
rivers in Afghanistan, rises in the unexplored regions to the south-east of
Ghazni. Its chief tributary is the Zhob. Within the limits of British territory
the Gomal forms the boundary between the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK
Province and Baluchistan, and more or less between the Pathan and
Baluch races.
The Gomal pass is the most important pass on the Indian frontier
between the Khyber and the Bolan. It connects Dera Ismail Khan with the
Gomal valley in Afghanistan, and has formed for centuries the outlet for
the povindah trade.
Gomal
Until the year 1889 this pass was almost unknown to the AngloIndian
official; but in that year the government of India decided that, in order to
maintain the safety of the railway as well as to perfect communication
between Quetta and the Punjab, the Zhob valley should, like the Bori
valley, be brought under British protection and control, and the Gomal
pass should be opened.
After the Waziristan expedition of 1894 Wana was occupied by British
troops in order to dominate the Gomal and Waziristan; but on the
formation of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK Province in 1901 it was
decided to replace these troops by the South Waziristan militia, who now
secure the safety of the pass.
Gomal
GOMAL: designation of four geographical entities; A sub-province
(Woloswali) and village in the Paktia province of eastern Afghanistan;
a river originating in the Ghazni province and flowing southeast
through the Waziristan tribal agency and the Dera Ismail Khan district
in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK Province of Pakistan; and of a
passage linking the eastern foothills of the Soleiman mountain range
with the Indus plains.
Gomal, the southernmost district of Paktia, covers an area of 1,850
square miles. In the late 19th century, it included about sixty villages,
six of which had more than 500 inhabitants. Estimates of its settled
rural population then ranged from 10,300 to 16,800. The Gomal River
flows north of the Gomal mountain pass, which is also known as the
Ghwalari Pass, a term probably derived from the Pashtu word "Ghwa"
(cow) and "lara" (road). The pass is approximately 13.5 miles long with
width narrowing in places to 10 feet.
Gomal
The Gomal Pass is bounded by the caravan stages of Pasta Kats and
Gatkay in the west and Maekinay and Rammu on its east. Its many
outlets and access points and proximity to other passages, such as the
Zao and Danasar, have created confusions similar to those concerning
distinctions between the Khyber, and Tartara passes between Peshawar
and Jalalabad. The Gomal, Khyber, Kohat, and Bolan passes, and their
subsidiary routes, have long been the primary channels of commercial
and cultural contact between Persia, India, and Central Asia.
An important segment of the Gomal caravan road traverses both the
Gomal Pass and the river. The Gomal road is used by nomads whose
seasonal migrations carry them between and through South and Central
Asia. These Afghan nomad traders are commonly referred to as
powindah when associated with the Gomal and Bolan passes, and
farther north around and through the Kohat and Khyber corridors.
Gateway to South Asia (Damaan)
The Western Ranges of Himalayan Mountains turn southwards and carve out
a valley all along the River Indus in the east and Suleiman ranges in the west.
It is located between 70' – 72' E and 32' N. Damaan is located in the KhyberPakhtunkhwa KPK Province, Pakistan. Damaan is the floodplains region in
the western central Pakistan.
Gigantic hill-torrents occasionally pouring down from its western Sulaiman
Mountain Range and finally joining the mighty Indus River in the east played
vital role in making its diverse geographies and determining its histories and
cultures. Damaan was once considered to be the gateway to South Asia
owing to its traversable numerous mountain passes connecting Afghanistan
and the Central Asia to Pakistan.
Damaan Area
Invaders and traders continued to pass through Damaan for centuries before
the advent of new transportation and communication technologies. Owing
to its geo-political significance and strategic location, Damaan turned to be a
multi-ethnic and multi-cultural region.
Though Damaan is still predominantly Siraiki speaking region but other
major ethno-cultural groups include Punjabis, Balochs and Pakhtuns.
Kulachi, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan are the major cities of the Damaan area.
Damaan is confronted with the greatest challenge of its history, the
challenge of mega development irrigation projects imposing destruction on
local livelihoods and ecology, and violations of rights through very
instruments of law themselves.
Gomal Damaan Area
Generally the socio -economic condition of the people of Gomal Damaan Area
of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK Pakistan is very poor. They neither can afford nor
have an access to the basic amenities of life. Here the literacy rate is abysmally
low; the birth rate is very high with soaring rate of crime and unemployment.
The debate about water resource management in Pakistan today is primarily a
debate between government and stakeholders from Karachi to Khyber. Both
are completely perplexed over the ever-increasing water stress in the country.
Decision-making has emerged as a big problem. We never felt scarcity of water
professionals in the past but today’s emergencies require us to promote water
wisdom. During British rule this area was envisaged as the main supplier of
wheat and other food crops to the whole of sub-continent.
Gomal Damaan Tribal Territories
Gomal Damaan Area can play an
imperative role in achieving food and
water security in Pakistan because it
embraces all four seasons. Gomal
Damaan Area is the area that mostly
consists of Himalayan Mountains in
the North and Suleiman ranges in the
South. An unwritten and mysterious
code of conduct known as tribal
system governs the entire area.
People living in this area are very
diverse in their tribal origin. The
differences are so deep that most of
all the tribes are always fighting with
each other over land, woman and
egocentric
superiority.
Shiranis,
Miranis
and
Ustranas
inhabit
Baluchistan link of Tribal territories
where
as
Gandapur,Mahsuds,
Wazirs. Bhitannis reside in areas
along KPK.
Gomal Damaan Tribal Territories
There
are
numerous
similarities
between Gomal Damaan and KPK. The
pains and pleasures of the both people
are similar. It seems as if their destinies
are also the same. The area is very
diverse, comprising the high mountains
of the Hindu Kush in the North and the
Indus plain in the South. KPK covers
richly diverse ecological systems.
Similarly Gomal Damaan also comprises
high mountains and gushing streams.
The history of the KPK Province of
Pakistan,
particularly
the
Gomal
Damaan Area, is full of romance and
glorious adventure and numerous
legends are woven around the character
of its inhabitants. This land of patriotic,
virile and hardy mountaineers stood
witness to countless historic events.
Gomal Damaan Stakeholders
Today it is stands as dry and
unproductive.
National
and
international attention is needed to
focus on this virgin land. It is Gomal
Damaan
Area
of
KhyberPakhtunkhwa KPK Pakistan that
Dams and Reservoirs are to be built,
where population is on increase and
is confronting water related stresses.
It is in the Gomal Damaan Area
that the dilemma of pressing needs
and limited resources is faced on a
daily basis; it is in the Gomal Damaan
Area local leadership is engaged in a
continuous debate, on how to
overcome underdevelopment and
the painful realities of poverty and
inequity.
Gomal Damaan Stakeholders
The strength of stakeholders of GDAWP depends on
the constitution of the partnership and its leadership.
The interests of religious, governmental and nongovernmental organizational partners can play an
effective role for achieving success because they
promote water related issues at various forums.
As we know that the water use is increasing
everywhere. The world's six billion inhabitants are
already appropriating 54% of all the accessible
freshwater contained in rivers, lakes and
underground aquifers. By 2025 humankind's share
will be 70%. This estimate reflects the impact of
population growth alone.
Because 70% of the Earth is covered with water, it is
called the “Blue Planet.” Yet only 2.5% of the world’s
water is fresh, while 97.5% is oceans. And only 0.3%
of this fresh water is available from rivers, lakes and
water reservoirs, 30% from the ground water while
the rest is stored in distant glaciers, ice sheets,
mountains areas—all places that we can hardly
access.
If per capita consumption of water resources
continues to rise at its current rate, humankind
could be using over 90% of all available
freshwater within 25 years, leaving just 10% for
all other living beings. Currently, on a global
basis, 69% of all water withdrawn for human use
on an annual basis is soaked up by agriculture
(mostly in the form of irrigation); industry
accounts for 23% and domestic use (household,
drinking water, sanitation) accounts for about
8%. These global averages vary a great deal
between regions.
Gomal Damaan Area
Today it is stands as dry and unproductive. National and international
attention is needed to focus on this virgin land. It is Gomal Damaan Area of
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK Pakistan that Dams and Reservoirs are to be built,
where population is on increase and is confronting water related stresses.
It is in the Gomal Damaan Area that the dilemma of pressing needs and
limited resources is faced on a daily basis; it is in the Gomal Damaan Area
local leadership is engaged in a continuous debate, on how to overcome
underdevelopment and the painful realities of poverty and inequity. The
strength of stakeholders of GDAWP depends on the constitution of the
partnership and its leadership. The interests of religious, governmental and
non-governmental organizational partners can play an effective role for
achieving success because they promote water related issues at various
forums.
Water Problems in the Gomal Damaan Area of
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK Pakistan.
This serious challenge is knocking at the doors of all developing
countries and Pakistan is no exception. Poverty in Pakistan in general
and in the Gomal Damaan Area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPK Pakistan
in particular is due to mismanagement of water resources. This
horrible scenario can be avoided and living conditions of all people
can be reinforced to sustainable levels of comfort, health and well
being of the people by improving our knowledge about water.
It can be achieved through coordinated and integrated efforts of all
concerned people to manage water resources more efficiently in the
region. Water management in the Gomal Damaan Area of KhyberPakhtunkhwa KPK Pakistan has always been a serious problem. The
area commands huge water resources but there are places where
water is harmful and places where there is no water for miles.
Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership (GDAWP)
Identifies the Following Critical Problems of the Area.
 Lack of water wisdom in the schools, colleges and universities.
 Water journalism is extremely frail in this area and print media and
electronic media are not projecting water as a national priority for
budgetary allocations.
 There is no place in Gomal Damaan Area of KPK Pakistan where
water supplied to common man is safe enough to meet standards of
World Health Organization.
 There are places in the Gomal Damaan Area of KPK Pakistan where
animals and human beings drink the same contaminated and
unhygienic water from one pond.
Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership GDAWP
Steering Committee (Structure)
President
Vice President
General Secretary
Board
Member
Board
Member
Board
Member
Commutation Advisor
Board
Member
Board
Member
Board
Member
Gomal Damaan Area
Water Partnership
GDAWP
"Promoting IWRM Gomal Damaan Area "