By Muhammad Luqman

Pakistani farmers need to gradually shift from flood irrigation to more efficient methods amid declining water resources and erratic rainfall patterns, largely driven by climate change, according to water experts.

Flood irrigation is generally considered inefficient, with an overall efficiency rate of less than 45%.

“Pakistani farmers should not abandon flood irrigation altogether overnight. Instead, they should gradually shift towards more efficient irrigation practices,” said Dr. Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of the Irrigation Research Institute (IRI), Punjab.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he said flood irrigation has relatively low initial costs and is widely used in Pakistan. However, poorly managed irrigation could lead to excessive water application, runoff, waterlogging and soil salinity.

He said farmers should first improve existing irrigation practices through laser land levelling, proper irrigation scheduling and furrow irrigation.
Dr. Sial added that drip and sprinkler systems should be introduced where their economic and technical benefits justified the investment.

“These efficient irrigation systems, including drip and sprinkler irrigation, can be adopted progressively with financial assistance, technical training and appropriate maintenance facilities,” he advised.

He said farmers should compare the total cost of each irrigation method over its useful life rather than considering installation costs alone.

“For low-margin crops such as wheat, improving existing flood irrigation may be the most practical starting point, while drip irrigation may be economically attractive for suitable orchards and high-value crops,” he explained.

He warned that flood irrigation using tubewells could contribute to groundwater depletion when extraction exceeded the rate of natural or artificial replenishment.

Water experts emphasised the need to promote water stewardship, efficient irrigation, watercourse lining, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and responsible water reuse.

“Technology works best alongside crop choices that are suited to the climate. Rotating cereals with legumes, such as mung bean, chickpea and lentil, improves soil health and requires less water,” said Sohail Ali Naqvi, Director of Water Resources at WWF-Pakistan.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he said farmers could reduce the area under water-intensive crops, such as rice and sugarcane, in water-scarce regions. He added that adopting heat- and drought-tolerant varieties and ensuring timely sowing could help crops withstand rising temperatures.

“Sowing wheat by mid-November can help crops avoid terminal heat, which is particularly important during El Niño years,” he said.

Over the next five to 10 years, Pakistan should scale up nature-based solutions, climate-informed irrigation practices, laser land levelling and watercourse lining, Naqvi said.

He added that cities and industries should also expand water reuse and rainwater harvesting, reduce leakage and improve groundwater management.

“These are practical interventions that can be expanded through systems we already have,” he said.

Naqvi said groundwater should be treated as a strategic national resource rather than an unlimited reserve.

He added that water-related challenges had become more serious amid uncertainty surrounding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), following India’s announcement in April 2025 that it was suspending the treaty.

Water management experts believe that training farmers in smart irrigation techniques could significantly reduce water losses.

“Farmers must be trained to irrigate according to crop water requirements and soil moisture levels, avoiding unnecessary water use,” said Aamir Mushtaq, Deputy Director of the Water Management Department, Punjab.

He said the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method could help reduce irrigation requirements for paddy rice when properly managed.

He also recommended Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) as an alternative to conventional transplanted rice, saying the method could significantly reduce water use.

Credit: INP-WealthPk