We can't water down this looming challenge

I recently spent time talking to farmers in rural Punjab. One theme dominated every conversation. Climate change is already having a serious impact on their livelihoods.

A major challenge is excessive heat and water scarcity and quality. The numbers are scary. By 2047, Pakistan will likely have twice the population and half the water it now has. Think about it. If my maths is correct, that means 75 per cent less water for each Pakistani.

Every year, the water table in many parts of Sindh and Punjab is sinking by about one meter. Unless digging tube wells are regulated, this fall will continue and may speed up. In Peshawar, the water table has fallen 30 feet in six years according to media report.

The quality of water available is also worsening. As the water table falls, soils are becoming saltier, making it difficult for farmers to grow crops. And as the population rises, wastewater and raw sewage end up in rivers due to a lack of treatment plants. Farmers downstream then use this water to irrigate their crops.

Pakistan is not alone in facing this challenge. In Australia we understand well the problems of drought and water scarcity. This year we celebrate 40 years of cooperation in agriculture and water management.

Through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australia has stood shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan. This involves providing expertise, listening to and working with farmers, training researchers and developing tools and knowledge to help farmers adapt and manage.

Climate change is already stressing Pakistan's agricultural yields – especially for staple crops like wheat, rice and maize, which are highly sensitive to temperature and rainfall changes.

Four out of every ten Pakistani households rely on agriculture for their living. Their food security is already suffering. Women and children are the first to be affected. Almost one fifth of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition, according to the UN.

Providing incentives to farmers to grow crops that require less water and provide more nutrition such as lentils, chickpeas, mung beans is important. These crops are rich in protein and replenish the soil. In Australia, pulses have become a cornerstone of sustainable farming, and we believe Pakistan could benefit from the same shift.

Australia is working with our excellent partners at agricultural universities here to develop hybrid seeds, plants and fruit trees that can survive the rising heat and saline soil.

Managing existing water sources is also critical. Australia has provided technology to allocate water between provinces. As you can imagine, this is a sensitive matter in both our countries. With about three quarters of Pakistan's renewable water originating from outside its borders, Pakistan must use its existing water wisely and sparingly.

Supporting women is essential. Women make up two-thirds of the agricultural workforce in Pakistan and are often the first to bear the brunt of climate change. By investing in women, Pakistan can build more resilient farming communities, improve food security, and better prepare for the impacts of climate change.

ACIAR has been proud to work with our Pakistani colleagues these forty years – from improving the value chain for mangoes and citrus, helping Pakistani farmers grow salt-resistant crops, to developing hybrid wheat seeds to withstand extreme weather conditions. We are also learning together new ways to manage floods and droughts.

More recently, Australia is playing a vital role in transforming Pakistan's dairy sector – Australian breeds of cows can withstand heat and still produce great tasting milk.

We have much to celebrate over the past forty years of agricultural and water cooperation. And we will continue our work. However, the threat to livelihoods due to the challenges of water scarcity and water quality are looming. Farmers can already feel it. Action is needed at all levels to prevent this challenge from turning into a crisis.