Water Management Practices in PakistanIssues & Options for

Productivity Enhancement

Mushtaq Ahmad Gill (T.I.)

South Asian Conservation Agriculture Network (SACAN)http://www.sacanasia.org

• Increasing population pressure

• Shrinking water resources

• High water losses in irrigation system

• Over exploitation of groundwater

• Limiting/diminishing energy resources Shortage of electricity High cost of diesel

• Low agricultural productivity

PAKISTAN’S AGRICULTURE CHALLENGES

ISSUES - PAKISTAN

103

150

1,200 m3

2006

CA

NA

L D

IVE

RS

ION

(M

AF)

PAKISTAN WATER BUDGET - INDUS BASIN IRRIGATION SYSTEMSHRINKING WATER RESOURCES

PAKISTAN

Least Efficient

WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES SYSTEM EFFICIENCIES

Most Efficient

Flood Irrigation (40-70%)

Furrow Irrigation (50-75%)

Bubbler Irrigation (55-80%)

Sprinkler Irrigation (60-90%)

Drip Irrigation (85-92%)

Land Utilization(Area - Million Hectare)

Forest, 3.79,6%

Waste Land24.3437%

Culturable Waste9.0314%

Fallow, 6.5, 10%

Wheat8.18 (38%)

Cotton2.92 (14%)

Rice 2.4 (11%)S.cane, 0.92,

(4%)

Others6.84 (33%)

Cultivated Area,

22.12, 33%

LOW AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITYPAKISTAN

Productivity Enhancement in Canal and Non-CanalCommand areas (desert and marginal land andwater conditions) through adoption of WaterManagement Technologies / Practices in order to:

foster sustainable food security improve livelihoods reduce poverty environment friendly agriculture

OPTIONS

POTENTIAL DESERT AREAS

Desert Province Area (MA)Cholistan Punjab 6.4Thal Punjab 5.7Pachad/Hill Torrent areas (D.I. Khan, DG Khan, Rajan Pur etc.)

Punjab & KPK 0.6

Thar Sindh 10.6Chagi-Kharan Balochistan 1.5

Others 3.0

Total 27.8

DEVELOPMENT OF DESERT AGRICULTURESUCCESS STORIES

Desert Crops GrownGhobi 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

A. Watercourse ImprovementB. LASER Land Leveling C. Bed & Furrow IrrigationD. Groundwater ManagementE. Gated Pipe IrrigationF. Pressurized Irrigation

I - Canal Command AreasWater Management Practices

Water Management Practices

2 – Non Canal Command & Desert Areas

A. On Farm Storages B. Pressurized Irrigation Systems C. Alternate / Renewable Energy D. Tunnel Farming & Plasticulture

Water Conservation & Management Projects

• National Program for improvement of Water Courses (NPIW): Duration = (2004-5 to 2007-8) Cost = Rs.66 Billion Target = 86,000 Watercourses

• Strengthening of Laser Levelling Services in Punjab (SLLSP): Duration = (2005-6 to 2007-8) Cost = Rs.445 Million Target = 2,500 Laser Units to Service Providers

• Water Conservation through Pressurized Irrigation Systems (HEISP) : Duration = (2007-8 to 2011-12) Cost = Rs.18 Billion Target = 290,000 Acres

• National Project for Adaptation Permanent Raised Bed Systems: Duration = (2007 to 2010-11) Cost = Rs.46 Million Target = 1,000 Bed Planaters

Impact % ageTime saving in irrigation 28Labor saving 50Increase in cropping intensity 23Increase in cropped area 17Increase in yield 16-37Increase in net farm income 20

WATERCOURSE IMPROVEMENT IMPACT

Overall Economic Impact - PIES

• Project is financially viable and supports the investment made on such type of interventions• Financial BCR is 5.36 for Pakistan at 15% discount rate• Financial Internal Rate of Return is 90% for whole of

Pakistan

• Economic Analysis reveals that project interventions show economic acceptability and profitability• Economic BCR at 15% discount rate at Pakistan level is

4.99• EIRR for Pakistan is 84%

Specific Findings (PIES)Average Water Savings/Annum/Watercourse

123 AF(151,934 m3)

Aggregate Water Savings / Annum6.82 MAF

(8.41 BCM)

Average Reduction in Conveyance Losses 38.88%

Equity Ratios for improved watercourses 0.53

Equity Ratios for unimproved watercourses 0.38

Improvement in Equity 39.5%

Reduction in Waterlogged Area 27.33%

Reduction in Salinity 86.76%

Reduction in Litigation 91%

Reduction in Tampering 87%

Improvement in Yields of Major Crops, Irrigated Area & Cropping Pattern

CropsImproved WCs(Yield in kg/ha)

Unimproved WCs(Yield in kg/ha)

%age Improvement

Wheat 3,370 3,041 10.82

Rice 4,317 4,075 5.94

Cotton 2,706 2,407 12.4

Sugarcane 7,057,731 6,908,062 2.11

Maize 3,163 2,741 15

Irrigated Area (ha) 12,729.91 10,523.76 21

Area under Non-traditional Crops More Less

PRECISION / LASER LAND LEVELINGPrecursor to RCTs

Zero Tillage

Rice on Beds Wheat on Beds SRI Technology

Cotton on Beds

IMPACT

Impact Extent (%)

Curtails irrigation application losses

25%

Reduces labor requirement 35%

Enhances cultivated area (by reduction of ditches and dikes)

2%

Increases crop yield 20%

Savings of about 40 % irrigation water

Decrease seed rate upto 40%

Reduce plant submergence

Controls crusting of soil

Enhance fertilizer use efficiency Provide

space for inter-culture

Increases yield up to 10%

C. Bed and Furrow Planting

Benefits

Benefits Low initial cost Little labor requirementNegligible operation and

maintenance expense Easy portability

FLEXIBLE GATED PIPE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Impact Extent (%)

Saving in water /energy consumption

25 to 30

Reduction in irrigation labor 40

Increase in crop production 10

22

HIGH EFFICIENCY PRESSURIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

Water Conservation and Management Projects

Implementation Constraints: • Economic• Institutional• Social• Technical

Implementation of Water Management Mega Projects has shown immediate returns in terms ofwater savings & productivity enhancement being cost affective ,non controversial and well acceptedtechnologies by the farming community;

The execution of on going projects is held up / stalled due to severe financial crunch. The WorldBank, USAID and others lending agencies may provide immediate funding (Bridge financing) forcontinuity of these projects .

Desert areas may be developed following the models of Alien (UAE), Sanai (Israel/Egypt), Ghobi(China) and Rajasthan (India);

Like Egypt’s new areas, Pressurized Irrigation Systems should be encouraged in Thal, Thar,Cholistan, Chaghi (Kharan) and others rain-fed areas;

In-built provision in new projects for Research & Development back up and Capacity Buildingsupport to Executing agencies for innovative Water management Practices particularlyPressurized Irrigation Systems.

For sustainable development, emphasis should go beyond provision of water management servicesto include productivity and profitability per unit of water applied;

THE WAY FORWARD

A Resource Conserved is

A Resource Generated

South Asian Conservation Agriculture Network

Thankshttp://www.sacanasia.org