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Optimising canal and groundwater management to assist water user associations in maximising crop production and managing salinisation

Project ID:
LWR/2005/144: Optimising canal and groundwater management to assist water user associations in maximising crop production and managing salinisation
Collaborating Countries:
Pakistan
Commissioned Organisation:
Charles Sturt University, Australia
Project Leader
Dr Mohsin Hafeez
Phone: 61 2 6933 2542
Fax: 61 2 6933 2647
Email: mhafeez@csu.edu.au
Collaborating Institutions:
  • University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority, Pakistan
Project Budget:
$1,000,000
Project Duration:
01/01/2008 - 31/12/2011
ACIAR Research Program Manager
Dr Christian Roth
Project Overview

The Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA) in Pakistan operates and maintains one of the largest irrigation canal systems in the world. However the system now requires major rehabilitation and improvement to meet present-day demands. Recent analyses show that the inequity of water distribution between head-enders and tail-enders is closely correlated to decreasing yields and increasing salinity with increasing distance from the canal This project will identify opportunities for equitable distribution of canal and groundwater to improve livelihoods through maximising crop production and managing salinisation in irrigated landscapes. The project team will develop tools capable of analysing hydrological and economic water management trade-off scenarios, use the results to develop improved canal and groundwater management options, then give support in implementing the improvements.