COMBATING WATER CRISIS

Challenges & Opportunities

Mushtaq Ahmad Gill (T.I.)

Executive Director

South Asian Conservation Agriculture Network (SACAN)

http://www.sacanasia.org
 PAKISTAN’S AGRICULTURE
CHALLENGES
• Low agricultural productivity
• Increasing population pressure
• Dwindling land for agriculture
• Shrinking water resources
• Limiting/diminishing energy resources
 Shortage of electricity
 High cost of diesel
• High water losses in irrigation system
• Over exploitation of groundwater
 WATER CRISIS IN PAKISTAN
(AFTER INDUS WATER TREATY- 1961)
 Deprivation from water of eastern rivers (20 MAF)
 Water logging, salinity & sodicity
 Increase in domestic and industrial requirement
 Deterioration of groundwater quality
 Increase in demand of irrigation water
 Persistent drought
 ISSUES
Cereal Requirement Status of Selected Countries by 2025
Deficit/Surplus (MMT)

25 22.1
18.7
20
15.3
15
10
5
-2.4 -1.6 -7.4 -11
0
ia

tan

i na
n

-5
h

a
na
Ira
es
Ind

ali
nti
Ch
k is
lad

s tr
ge
Pa

-10

Au
ng

Ar
Ba

-15
ISSUES (Cont’d)

2006

150

CANAL DIVERSION (MAF)

103

1,200 m3
 SHRINKING WATER RESOURCES
PAKISTAN WATER BUDGET - INDUS BASIN IRRIGATION SYSTEM
OVER EXPLOITATION OF GROUNDWATER
(Tubewells Growth)
957,916

Electricity,
128,823 (13%)

Diesel
829,093
(87%)
 OPTION
 Productivity Enhancement in Canal and Non-Canal
Command areas (marginal land and water
conditions)and desert and semi desert areas
through Water Saving Technologies and Practices
in order to:

 foster sustainable food security

 improve livelihoods
 reduce poverty
 environment friendly agriculture
Water Saving Technologies
( For Desert and Arid Agriculture)
 POTENTIAL DESERT AREAS
Desert Province Area (MA)

Cholistan Punjab 6.4

Thal Punjab 5.7
Pachad/Hill Torrent areas Punjab & NWFP 0.6
(D.I. Khan, DG Khan,
Rajan Pur etc.)
Thar Sindh 10.6
Chagi-Kharan Balochistan 1.5

Others 3.0
Total 27.8
 POTENTIAL DESERT AREAS
Challenges and Issues
 Scarcity of irrigation water
 High cost of development of irrigation schemes
 Colossal loss of land due Water and Wind erosion
 Undulated topography
 Limited infrastructural facilities
 Heavy farm machinery requirements for traditional
cultivation
 DEVELOPMENT OF DESERT AGRICULTURE
SUCCESS STORIES

Desert Crops Grown

Ghobi Desert, China Cotton & Tomato

Sanai Desert, Israel/Egypt Fruits & Vegetables

Alien Desert, UAE Fruits, Vegetables, Fodder

Rajistan Desert, India Fruits, Vegetables, Oil Seeds

Dasht-e-Kavir & Qir Qazim, Iran High Value Crops

 CHALLENGES AND ISSUES

 Scarcity of irrigation water

 High cost of development of irrigation schemes
 Colossal loss of land due water and wind erosion
 Undulated topography
 Prevailing poverty
 Limited infrastructural facilities
 Frequent weather/climate changes
 Heavy farm machinery requirements for cultivation
 Scattered and small holdings
 Shortage of skilled and unskilled labour
 Poor access to inputs
 DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS

 Supply of canal water to the desert/semi-desert areas

 Establishment of mini dams, check dams, dugwells, lift irrigation schemes etc.

 Construction and renovation of water storage ponds, underground tanks

(Kunds), and Tobas by use of cost effective lining/layering materials (e.g.
HDPE/plastic sheets etc.)

 Adoption of Resource Conservation Technology

 Use of alternative energy sources (solar and wind) powered pumps for
conveyance of water from water storage tanks to fields by use of drip/sprinkler
and Flexible Gated Pipes

 Management of groundwater by treated, cyclic and conjunctive use

 Ongoing Development Strategies

• Construction of Large and Small Dams

• Construction of New Canal Systems
– Greater Thal Canal (GTC) - Punjab
– Katchi Canal - Balochistan
– Rainee Canal - Sindh
– Chasma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) - KPK
GREATER THAL CANAL PROJECT
MAIN CANAL HEAD REGULATOR
MAIN CANAL
NURPUR Dy OF PHASE - I
TEMPORARY PIPE OUTLET
 WAY FORWARD
• National Water Policy
• Provincial Water Visions in Accordance with
Post IWT Scenario 1961 – Indus Water
Apportionment Accord 1991 (CBM’s)
• Creation of Think tank ( Planning Commission,
HEC, Universities, PEC, PSAE) for Water
Resources Development and Management
 WAY FORWARD (Cont’d)

 Desert areas may be developed following the models of Alien (UAE),

Sanai (Israel/Egypt), Ghobi (China), Rajasthan (India), and Dasht-e-
Kavir (Iran)

 Feasibility study and preparation of development projects for

Conservation Agriculture may be carried-out through involvement of
private sector (consultants/companies e.g. PSAE,SACAN etc.)

 A body on the pattern of Thal Development Authority and Arid Land

Development Authority, India may be constituted under the
Supervision of Prime Minister at federal and CMs at provincial levels.

 A project for development of 50,000 acres at Head, Tail and Middle of

Thal desert, with main focus on GTC area, may be launched

 Outsource the project implementation to the private sector following

the example of Rajistan Development in India with full support from
public sector
Resource Conserved
Is
A Resource Generated

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