AN agrarian country like Pakistan was declared water scarce by the UNDP in 2025.
The provinces have faced massive inequitable water distribution. Reports by IRSA confirm that from 1999 to 2023, Sindh’s annual water shortage has fallen to 45%, meaning almost half of the allotted water does not reach the people of Sindh. The ambitious irrigation project, the Cholistan Canal Project (CCP), primarily relied on water from other canals, which meant overuse of the Indus water.
An alternative to the Cholistan corporate farming: Research shows a huge potential in reclaiming wastelands across Pakistan and restoring the soil fertility of these areas for crop cultivation.
Firstly, farmers should be given workshops on contour ploughing to help save surface runoff and preserve nutrients for the soil. Secondly, planting drought-resistant plants (like Acacia modesta) in semi-arid Pakistan will help reclaim soil fertility and improve vegetation cover. In India’s Jharkhand, local communities planted timber and bamboo trees alongside which helped not only reduce the pressure on natural forests but also reduce soil erosion. Thirdly, utilizing microbial bioremediation will help detoxify contaminated soil while helping restore its fertility. It is a cost-effective and eco-friendly method for the reclamation of wastelands.
Furthermore, research shows that soil water conservation (SWC) techniques like contour ploughing and contour bunding, along with the right type of fertilizers, help improve crop yields and rainwater management. These SWC techniques were tried and tested in the Gujar Khan Tehsil and proved to be effective in increasing water productivity.
In India’s Rajasthan, NGOs like Jal Bhagirathi Foundation (JBF) came together with local communities to conserve water and establish groundwater management projects in the arid region of Rajasthan, especially in water-scarce villages like Chota Nayrana and Tilonia. The NGOs used local labour and material to construct sand dams for water harvesting of the monsoon runoff. Recharge structures were also introduced to improve aquifers to improve water availability for the local communities. Sindh government can apply a similar model with public-private partnerships in Thatta and Badin.
Moreover, it is critical to introduce digital mechanisms for irrigation water metering. This will help effectively manage available water to each of the provinces. But this will only be viable in the long run if paired with seepage reduction measures. About 78% of water can be saved through canal lining to reduce seepage. The efficiency of these irrigation canals can go up to 98% if impermeable geosynthetic materials are used to create seepage-resistant structures.
Lastly, urban megacities like Karachi and Lahore should divert resources into managing their wastewater. Industrialists should help establish eco-industrial parks that would enable a circular economy by treating wastewater for landscape irrigation and industrial cooling. This will also help lower the strain on the already declining sewage systems of the cities. Advanced urban storm drainage systems should be introduced to harvest excess water during Monsoon floods and prevent the cities from drowning.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
