At the onset of the sowing season for key cash crops like rice and cotton, Pakistan confronts a 30 per cent water deficit.
According to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the water shortfall arises from reduced winter snowfall in the northern glacier regions of Pakistan, which is crucial for the Indus and Jhelum Rivers’ catchment areas and vital for irrigation purposes.
Kharif, or monsoon crops such as rice, maize, sugarcane, and cotton, planted in April, thrive in a humid, warm climate and are heavily reliant on substantial rainfall.
IRSA’s assistant researcher, Muhammad Azam Khan, attributes this scarcity to climate change’s impact on the country’s glaciers, a looming challenge for the summer water supply essential for Kharif crops.
Despite expectations for the water gap to diminish with the arrival of monsoon rains, forecasts of above-normal temperatures during the season add to the prevailing uncertainty.
Agriculture, which accounts for about 24 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP, is critically assessed for its water inefficiency. This current water crisis underscores the urgency of strategic water management to ensure the efficient allocation and utilization of water resources for agriculture.
Pakistan ranked as the world’s fifth-largest nation with over 250 million residents, faces the escalating consequences of climate change, including erratic weather patterns. The devastating floods of 2022, attributed to climate change, affected over 30 million people and significantly harmed the country’s cotton production.
