Improving groundwater management to enhance agriculture and farming livelihoods in Pakistan

About

In the Pakistani agricultural lands, as a consequence of the recent increased cropping intensities, the water demand has become higher, not only for private farmers but also for the small holders. Retrieving water from salinization sources is very expensive, and land becomes soon less fertile if not properly irrigated. There's a lack of regulations, data and there's a need for positive implications towards a long-term integrated management approach, among the decision-making stakeholders.

Impact

Goals

The aim of this project is to build the capacity of researchers, farming communities and relevant government and non-governmental agencies to conduct groundwater management min ways that enhance farming family livelihoods in Pakistan. Building capacity means building confidence, knowledge and skills plus provision of processes and tools. This includes long-term sustainability of agriculture and fairness of consideration across socio-political spectrum.

Objectives

Develop a shared knowledge of sustainable groundwater use for agriculture and the need for improved management in three different provinces: Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh. Develop with collaborating stakeholders in each case study, tools and options that have the potential to enhance livelihoods of farming families. Enhance capacity and institutional arrangements for post project such as norms and strategies that shape the decision-making of individuals.

Impact pathways

The project aim and research activities are fundamentally oriented at capacity building for enhancing agricultural sustainability with a focus on improved groundwater management. This is reflected in the long-term (ten-year) desired outcome from this project: to have groundwater management operating in ways that enhance the livelihoods of farmers in Pakistan. For our project to deliver on such a long-term outcome requires careful consideration of the foundations that a four-year project can provide. Indeed, impact analysis needs to be iterative, evolving through interaction and discussion with collaborating stakeholders as the project develops, and outcomes are achieved. By the end of this project, the foundational outcomes to help deliver on the longer-term impact are: 1. Farmers, farming organisations and partner non-government organisations have started introducing improved groundwater management practices. 2. Government agencies in Pakistan have started developing/ demonstrating improved groundwater-related planning, monitoring, management strategies/options and policies. 3. Relevant provincial-level government agencies, non-government organisations and farming organisations have developed effective partnerships for ongoing discussion on groundwater management issues and solutions.