Research need
This project aims to improve social and economic outcomes for farming communities in Pakistan, including increased productivity and reduced vulnerability to climate change, by improving water planning and management at multiple levels (i.e. provincial, canal command, and village/farm).
Pakistan operates the world’s largest contiguous irrigation system, the Indus Basin Irrigation System, which provides water for agricultural, domestic and industrial uses across four provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan), serving more than 80% of the country’s overall population. This system is mainly dependent on surface water supplies from 6 major tributaries that rise in the mountainous region of the upper Indus Basin.
Pakistan has experienced a substantial surge in population – nearly a 7-fold increase since independence in 1947, and this has significantly increased demand on agrifood production systems. Irrigated agriculture accounts for 95% of surface water supply in Pakistan, and as cropping intensification has increased to meet demand, the gap between water supply and irrigation demands is increasing. In this environment, secure access to irrigation water becomes crucial for smallholder farmers to increase productivity and manage the risk of crop failures.
Addressing the challenges of fair and sustainable distribution of water requires interventions and innovations (from on-ground through to policy initiatives) at multiple levels – farm/village, canal command and provincial level.
