‘Water shortage can lead to economic collapse’
The project was sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and International Center for Agricultural Research in dry areas (Icarda) in collaboration with Parc. The objectives of the meeting were to review the progress of the project; to suggest any amendment in the approved work plan and to brainstorm how best to disseminate the technologies.
Ahmad said that Pakistan primarily was an agro-based economy, wherein the agriculture sector contributes 22% to the gross domestic product annually. He said that the contributions of the agriculture sector are mainly dependent on irrigated water besides other crop production inputs. “The failure of agricultural production will hamper livelihoods in urban settings besides emergence of food security and safety issues,” he added. He said that due to many reasons, particularly improper water management at all levels; Pakistan is fast becoming a water-insufficient country.
USDA Agriculture Counsellor Todd Drennan said that 90% of total water in Pakistan is used for agriculture. It is thus the responsibility of the sector to find out ways to protect the supply and better and more efficient ways to use it. “Under this project a process started to help farmers understand alternative irrigation systems and techniques. The success of this programme will ultimately be measured by the adoption of new irrigation technologies and water storage techniques,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2012.
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