ISLAMABAD — With Pakistan’s food demand projected to rise by at least 50 percent by 2050, the Government of Pakistan and FAO have launched a National Technical Working Group (TWG) to protect agricultural land and ensure the country’s precious land and water resources are used more sustainably.
The initiative was formally inaugurated through an Inception Workshop, where Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal launched the TWG established under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP).
The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI).
The move comes at a crucial time for Pakistan, where rapid urban expansion is increasingly putting pressure on productive agricultural land while growing demand is intensifying competition for already limited water resources.
Rather than allowing agricultural land protection to remain a secondary issue, the new initiative aims to put evidence, technology and coordinated policymaking at the centre of Pakistan’s future land-use decisions.
“Food security is at the core of FAO’s mandate,” FAO Representative in Pakistan James Okath said, stressing the importance of protecting the agricultural land that feeds the population while meeting the needs of a growing population and conserving natural resources, particularly water.
The newly established Working Group will bring together federal and provincial governments, academia and technical experts, creating a platform for stronger coordination, data sharing and evidence-based policymaking.
The initiative also supports key government priorities under URAAN Pakistan, the National Water Policy and the National Food Security Policy, while building upon existing efforts at both national and provincial levels.
Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said the evidence from different studies points toward the same conclusion — Pakistan can no longer afford to treat the protection of agricultural land as a secondary concern.
A two-year plan with technology at its core
Over the next two years, the programme will focus on strengthening Pakistan’s capacity for integrated land and water-use planning through institutional development, policy support and digital technology.
Two major tools will form the backbone of the initiative, Land Use Zoning Framework to guide sustainable and informed land-use decisions.
Digital Land Use Change Assessment Platform to monitor and assess changes in land use and strengthen evidence-based planning.
Together, these measures are expected to help policymakers identify pressures on productive farmland, improve land and water management and support sustainable development.
The initiative represents a significant shift toward long-term planning for Pakistan’s food security, bringing government institutions, experts and technology together to ensure that the country’s agricultural base can continue supporting its growing population in the decades ahead.
