By Ayesha Saba ISLAMABAD, Feb. 22 (INP-WealthPK): One of the major challenges for sustainable development faced by both the developed and developing countries is to ensure that all people continue to have reliable access to freshwater supply and sanitation services. According to the UN World Water Development Report, by 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of freshwater. Moreover, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), by 2025, the demand for water is expected to rise by 56 percent as compared to the current availability. Only 3 percent of earth's water is considered to be usable for humankind. The increased population in recent years has caused a surge in demand for water in various application sectors. This has led to water shortage in various sectors, and therefore the water utilities are taking required steps to reduce wastage. This problem is even more serious in developing countries in general and South Asia in particular. South Asian countries with approximately 2 billion population have similar weather and water resource conditions. Sustainable water management policies have been high on the agenda of many governments around the world and the looming global impact of climate change in terms of sea level rise, longer drought periods and flooding are adding more pressure on the availability of freshwater resources to sustain the growing demands of increasing populations and economic growth. An important device in the management of water supply networks is the water meter, which is used to measure the volume of water supplied from a public water distribution system to a residential or commercial building. Smart water metres, which continuously gather and transmit water usage data, are reshaping the domestic water management paradigm. By 2030, the number of smart water metres installed is predicted to exceed 100 million, with water-stressed developed cities leading the way. Smart water metres are being installed to address growing concerns about water shortages. In Pakistan, the Punjab provincial government has given approval for smart water metres to be installed in the capital city of Lahore, ensuring effective water resource management and distribution. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has given the approval for the installation of water metres, which is expected to cost Rs10.3 billion. The meters will be installed under public-private partnership, covering 93 percent residential and 7 percent commercial consumers of the city. While speaking to INP-WealthPK, Abuzar Saeed, Assistant Director of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) stated that the entire procedure and billing process will be technology-driven. “The metering infrastructure will collect information about usage at regular intervals and convert it as per the billing unit. Bills will be based on actual water consumption after water metres are installed. Therefore, consumers will stop wasting water and it will be conserved. Water demand will be reduced as a result, and water abstraction from groundwater sources will be minimised. It will help slow the deterioration of groundwater because the shortage problem we face is not due to lack of water but due to excessive waste,” he said. He added, “We are going to find out how effective the smart metering system is going to be by that time and then based on the experience of Lahore, the Punjab government will soon start work to replicate this model in WASAs at Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi cities as well.” Abuzar Saeed said the project is a revolutionary plan and the first of its kind to be launched in Pakistan in partnership with a public-private partnership. “The benefit of automatic meter reading and data transmission for the consumers is that there will be no disturbances or malpractices by metre readers. Data accuracy will ensure consumers are not overbilled,” he said. The management and preservation of current freshwater sources are therefore very critical. Necessary steps are being taken by the governments in various countries to promote sustainable use of water. These steps are being adopted after the water demand has risen exponentially in the last decade, with a heavily growing population along with urbanisation. Smart water meters not only serve as an efficient solution in terms of operation, but are also economically feasible for water utilities as well as the customers. These meters act as a one-time investment that can be used for many years to come with negligible maintenance required.