Water efficiency is a necessity

Pakistan is experiencing frequent and severe climate change-induced natural disasters. The country has a long history of battling droughts and floods. Despite contributing less than 1% of global carbon emissions, the country is still grappling with the effects of climate change. Agriculture is the largest consumer of freshwater in Pakistan, using over 90% of the resource, but mismanagement has led to almost 50% of water being wasted. While there may be little the country can do, relative to advanced economies, to mitigate the chances of such calamities increasing, it can progress by leaps and bounds by adopting water resource management strategies from these progressive countries. The unavailability of sufficient usable water resources can lead to food security issues in an agriculture-based economy with a burgeoning population. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Concave Agri Services President, Muhammad Ali Iqbal said, “Pakistan is losing its two biggest water reservoirs: glaciers and underground water.” With “mind boggling” usage of water by the sector, it is key to launch an awareness campaign to ensure that farmers use water resources appropriately. “Due to outdated farming techniques, irrigation is still done using the older flood irrigation technique – wasting more than 50% of water resources,” he said, adding that drip irrigation, sprinklers, and other smarter technologies can help the farming community use water more efficiently.