- By: Major Nadeem Baig (R)
Pakistan, despite receiving substantial rainfall and frequent floods, faces a paradoxical crisis—a chronic shortage of irrigation water. While climate variability and upstream water politics play a role, the root cause lies in Pakistan’s outdated and inefficient irrigation infrastructure.
- Outdated and Obsolete System
The majority of Pakistan’s irrigation system is based on flood irrigation—a method that inundates fields with water regardless of crop requirements. Initially designed during British colonial times, this system has not evolved to meet modern agricultural demands. Today, it wastes vast amounts of water, with over 60% of irrigation water lost through seepage, evaporation, and runoff before it reaches crops.
Although Pakistan is often battered by monsoon rains and devastating floods, farmers continue to face water shortages. The problem lies in the lack of efficient infrastructure to capture, store, or redirect floodwaters for later agricultural use. Instead, massive floodwaters either drain into the Arabian Sea or cause destruction without contributing to irrigation or groundwater recharge. As a result, while rainfall and floods devastate communities, farmland remains dry in the months that follow.
- Learning from Global Best Practices
Countries grappling with similar or even worse water stress have successfully adopted modern irrigation systems that make far more efficient use of water. Israel has implemented drip irrigation alongside soil moisture sensors, saving up to 70% of water while increasing crop yields. India promotes subsidized micro-irrigation systems and mobile pump controls, achieving water savings of 40-60%. Whetreas, in the USA, precision irrigation methods are widely used in drought-prone areas, yielding high crop productivity with minimal water use.
- The Way Forward for Pakistan
Currently, only 0.1% of farmland in Pakistan employs High-Efficiency Irrigation Systems (HEIS) like drip or sprinkler systems. In contrast, countries like India (22.6%) and Iran (24%) have made substantial investments in HEIS, reaping the benefits of increased agricultural efficiency and water conservation. Pakistan cannot afford to continue wasting its most precious resource—water. Immediate steps must be taken to modernize the irrigation system:
- Canal Modernization: Upgrading the canal infrastructure to minimize water losses.
- Water Harvesting and Storage: Building small-scale reservoirs to capture floodwater for later agricultural use.
- Recharge Wells: Introducing recharge wells to restore groundwater levels.
- Smart Irrigation: Promoting the adoption of drip and sprinkler systems through subsidies and training programs.
- Conclusion
Pakistan stands at a crossroads. Continuing with outdated irrigation systems means more wasted water, reduced harvests, and deepening rural poverty—despite the floods and rains that often cause destruction. By investing in modern, efficient irrigation technologies, as many other nations have done, Pakistan can transform its water challenges into opportunities.
Modernizing the irrigation system is not a luxury—it is a necessity for survival. The time for change is now, before the country’s water crisis deepens further.