Directorate of Soil Conservation, Field Wing of Punjab Agriculture Department developed more than 3000 water harvesting bodies having live storage capacity of 0.1-million-acre feet in Barani areas of the province, however there was still much potential to conserve rainwater for enhanced agricultural production and alleviating poverty.
According to official sources, the country is facing the issue of water crisis mainly due to climate change and mismanagement of available water resources.
According to a report of an international body, Pakistan is the 14th most water stressed countries in the world, facing acute water shortage. Moreover, being an agricultural country, this water shortage has direct impact on the national economy which is dependent on agriculture and water to grow crops, he maintained. Therefore, if this problem of water shortage prevails, it might have long financial and ecological impacts on the country.
The report added, due to climate change, the winter season in the country has shrunk from four to two months and the monsoon season has become unpredictable in the past few years. Around 70% of total rainfall is received during monsoon season (July-September), which causes floods in the country due to lack of rainwater harvesting bodies. So, it is crucial to practice systematic conservation practices and water harvesting techniques to trap maximum rainwater to avoid flood losses and to improve the productivity of crops, especially in “Barani” region where Agriculture is entirely dependent on rainwater.—APP
