Pakistan grappling with 30% water deficit during crucial sowing period
Published on: April 5, 2024.
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Pakistan is currently facing a 30% water shortage at the beginning of the sowing season for cash crops like rice and cotton, according to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the country’s water regulator. The shortage is primarily due to lower-than-normal winter snowfall in Pakistan’s northern glacier region, which has affected the catchment areas of the Indus and Jhelum Rivers used for irrigation.
April marks the start of the sowing season for Kharif crops, or monsoon crops, including rice, maize, sugarcane, and cotton. These crops require a wet and warm climate with high levels of rainfall. Muhammad Azam Khan, an assistant researcher with IRSA, attributed the reduced snowfall to climate change impacting the country’s glaciers, resulting in a direct impact on the availability of water for Kharif crops in the summer. The water shortage gap is expected to decrease as the monsoon rains arrive later in the season, although higher-than-normal temperatures during the monsoon season pose additional uncertainty.
Pakistan heavily relies on its agriculture sector, which contributes approximately 24% to the country’s GDP. However, the sector has faced criticism for its inefficiency in water usage. The current water shortfall means that authorities will need to better plan the allocation of water for crops, according to IRSA’s Khan.
Pakistan, with a population of over 250 million, is the world’s fifth-largest country. In recent years, it has experienced the profound impacts of climate change, including shifting and unpredictable weather patterns. Climate change-related floods in 2022 affected over 30 million people in Pakistan and severely impacted the cotton crop that year.++
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