The water crisis in agriculture and its alleviation (a recent paradigm in Pakistan)- an overview According to International Monitory Fund (IMF), Pakistan is 3rd most vulnerable country regarding water crisis as per capita water availability is 1017 cubic meters near to scarcity threshold level of 1000 cubic meters. One of the leading crises a human is going to face is freshwater scarcity in Pakistan. An integrated approach toward sustainable agricultural water management is indispensable to cope with the upcoming water crisis. Irrigation scheduling at the farm level is imperative for water productivity enhancement. Subsidizing and encouraging conventional/flood irrigation to high-efficiency practices is essential. Research and pilot testing of soil moisture measuring sensors must be focused on.

1. Water Crisis in
Agriculture and its
Alleviation
By Dr. Mujahid Ali
Water Management Research
Farm, Renala Khurd, 56150
Okara, Pakistan

2. Introduction
• Pakistan was water abundant (having more than 1600 m3 water per capita) country in
1947.
• Pakistan is going to water scarcity countries (countries having less than 1000 m3 water per
capita) in near future.
• According to International Monitory Fund (IMF), Pakistan is 3rd most vulnerable
country regarding water crisis as per capita water availability is 1017 m3 near to scarcity
threshold level of 1000 cubic meters (GOP, 2007).
• Pakistan is ranked 1st regarding water usage with respect to GDP.
• Water is the basic input for agriculture, emerging challenges to irrigated agriculture like
inadequate water availability for crop production, poor irrigation efficiency, and over/
under irrigation are the main impediments to low water productivity (Cooper, 2018).

3. Causes of water scarcity in Pakistan
Enhancement of Water Pollution
Limited storage capacity
Unequal Distribution of Water
Illegal/misuse of water

4. Role of Institutions in
Water Management for
Agriculture in Pakistan
On-farm
Water
Management
(OFWM)
JICA
World Bank
& Asian
Development
Bank
International
Water
Management
Institute
(IWMI)

5. Water Management strategies in
Agriculture
Awareness of
farmers/public
Research and
Demonstration
Soil analysis
through water
filtration
apparatus
Selected tree
plantation
Construction of
dams/ water
reservoirs/ponds
Irrigation
Scheduling
Crop-Watt Models
High-Efficiency
Irrigation System

6. Agronomic Practices
• a) Sensitiveness to water shortage
• b) Critical stages of the crop
• c) Rooting depth
• d) Type of soil
• e) Economic value of the crop
• Determine water requirement by the following
formula
• Crop water Requirement (CRW)= Kc x ETo

7. Soil Moisture Sensors
• Handy soil moisture meter: Handy soil
moisture meter is a portable device that quickly
measures a digital value at any point in the field
and at any depth. It
• Enviro-SCAN: Enviro-SCAN is a highly
efficient moisture sensing device for real-time
measuring moisture levels at various soil depths,
showing outcomes on a cell phone/laptop.
• Chameleon Wi-Fi reader: A battery-operated
device having three lights that measure moisture
percentage at different levels with three probes that
are inserted at different depths in the soil. It
measures soil moisture by blinking lights of
different colors concerning moisture levels at
various depths.
• Full stop moisture meter: Two different probes
are inserted in the soil at different depths in root
zones. The length of indicators depicts moisture
levels in the soil.

8. Future Strategies and Government Policies
• Installation of Discharge meters
• Application of Artificial Intelligence
• Efficient and economical hydraulic strategies are necessary to make efforts feasible.
• Reallocating canal water
• Water Budgeting
• Lining of remaining water courses up to 50%

9. Conclusion
• To provide water security to grow crops, an integrated approach toward
sustainable agricultural water management is indispensable to cope with the
upcoming water crisis. Irrigation scheduling at the farm level is imperative for water
productivity enhancement. Subsidizing and encouraging high-efficiency irrigation is
essential. Research and pilot testing of soil moisture measuring sensors must be
focused on. The plant breeding institutes focus on developing drought-resistant
varieties.