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WeChat public account: Earth Knowledge Bureau
NO.2147 - Agriculture in Pakistan
Author: Zhenguo Youth Cake
Draft: Gu Hanyi / Editor: Tuna
As one of the first countries to establish formal diplomatic relations with the mainland, neighboring Pakistan is often affectionately known as "Pakistan Railway" by its people. Although there is a big gap with the mainland in terms of economic development, this country, which is only the same size as qinghai province on the mainland, has a population of more than 200 million, ranking 6th in the world in terms of total population.
East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia form the world's most densely populated arc zone (which is also a monsoon zone), and Pakistan is the westernmost part of this zone
To feed such a large population, adequate food supplies are essential. Pakistan is the world's top ten wheat and rice producers, agriculture accounts for about 18.9% of Pakistan's GDP, absorbs 44.2% of the country's labor force, and is an important pillar of Pakistan's economy.
Behind these agricultural achievements is the continuous supply of the Indus River.
The Indus River under the night sky and Pakistan
You can clearly recognize the Indus River and the "Indo-Pakistani Border"
(Landscape, photo: NASA)▼
Pakistan is born of water
Located in the South Asian subcontinent, Pakistan has a land area of about 796,000 square kilometers. From the topographic point of view, Pakistan is divided into three geographical regions composed of many mountain ranges: the northern highlands, the Balochistan Plateau and the Indus Plain, with high north and low south, 92% of the land is arid or semi-arid, and the average annual precipitation in the country is less than 300mm.
From Iran to Afghanistan to the Thar Desert
The Indus River is the river with the largest amount of water
Along the Indus River, it is basically the axis of Pakistan (horizontal screen)▼
The northern highlands include the Hindu Kush Mountains, the Karakoram Mountains, and parts of the Himalayas. These areas are high in altitude, low in temperature and often snowy, making it almost impossible to provide arable land for large areas.
The Pashtuns, who live in the peshawar region of the northwest, also live mostly on nomadic and livestock farming, and a small number grow dryland crops such as dates and Brazilian pine nuts to live a self-sufficient life.
This group of tall, vast, world-class mountain ranges in the Northern Highlands
It forms the northern barrier between Pakistan and the South Asian subcontinent
Land access to Pakistan is therefore limited
Kabul-Khyber Pass-Peshawar-Islamabad is one of them
(Landscape, basemap: NASA)▼
Although the towering mountains and steep terrain have not contributed significant economic benefits to Pakistan's agriculture, the 7,259 glaciers covering 11,780 square kilometers on it are undoubtedly the "source of life" of the Indus Plain.
Meltwater from glaciers contributes more than 60% of the annual flow of the Indus Valley, which in turn irrigates 14 million hectares of arable land as an important source of agricultural water in Pakistan, which is the fundamental basis for Pakistan's ability to feed 200 million people.
The Indus Delta, next to Karachi, Pakistan's Shanghai
Karachi is inseparable from the Northern Highlands
Just like Shanghai is inseparable from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (photo: NASA).
Originating in the Gandhis Mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Indus River runs through all of Pakistan from north to south, and after a 3,200-kilometer drive, it flows into the Arabian Sea, and is the main stream of many important rivers in Pakistan, such as the Jerum River, Chinab River, Ravi River and Sattler River.
The Indus River is an international river
There is not only the Pakistani part, but also the Indian part
(Many people may think that the Indus River is completely "the river of India")▼
From 3300 BC to 1300 BC, the rich agricultural civilization of the Indus Valley was born here. In archaeological excavations, researchers found evidence that farmers in the Indus Valley at the time were growing crops such as barley, wheat, cotton and dates.
During this period, the ancestors also developed complex irrigation and water storage systems, such as waste treatment drainage systems and early canal irrigation systems.
Ruins of the City-State of Mohenzo Dharao in Pakistan
More than 4,000 years ago, cities had convenient sewage drainage systems
("White arrow" is marked as the city sewer, picture: one map network) ▼
Ancient farming civilizations developed on the basis of irrigated agriculture have connected people from different geographical regions. Today, the Indus Valley is the lifeblood of pakistan's agricultural production.
The fertile Indus Plain, which is impacted by the Indus River and its tributaries in Pakistan, is a hot spot for Pakistani agriculture. The provinces of Sindh and Punjab in eastern Pakistan are typical examples.
Punjab + Sindh province along the Indus River
It basically occupies most of Pakistan's agricultural areas
Sindh and Punjab are located in areas with flat terrain, abundant precipitation and suitable temperatures, and crops are planted in spring and autumn. Suitable farming conditions have turned the Indus Plain into Pakistan's granary. Punjab's annual grain production accounts for about 76% of the total annual grain production in Pakistan, and the rice production in Sindh province alone can basically meet the rice supply demand in the whole of Pakistan.
Sindh province in the lower Indus alluvial plains is well suited for rice cultivation
(Farmers "threshing" in the process, photo: shutterstock)▼
One of the rice varieties called "Basmati" (also known as Basmati), known for its special aroma and excellent taste, is very common in the daily diet of Pakistani rice, milk rice dessert (Kheer) in the Indo-Pakistani region, and currently more than 760,000 Pakistani families grow it for a living, in addition to supplying it abroad, some high-quality rice is also exported to other countries, becoming part of Pakistan's agricultural foreign exchange income.
Basmati pilaf eaten in Kathmandu
You can pour the milk tea on the side into the rice and mix it with it
But personally feel ordinary (Photo: Tuna)▼
In addition to shouldering the burden of food crops, the Indus Plain also provides fertile ground for the growth of cash crops in Pakistan. As the world's fifth-largest sugarcane producer, sugarcane is Pakistan's second-largest cash crop, tied to the sugar industry, which accounts for 3.6 percent of GDP.
The angle of the shooting exaggerates the height of the sugar cane (although it is also true)
(Photo: shutterstock)▼
Good hydrothermal conditions have also contributed to a bumper mango harvest, with an annual production of nearly 2.3 million tonnes, making Pakistan the world's fourth largest mango producer.
Good hydrothermal conditions produce the best mangoes in the world——
Come to Chaunsa mangoes from Hunder province and South Punjab
(Photo: shutterstock (top) One Map Network (bottom))▼
The Indus River continues a rich farming civilization and provides a continuous source of water for agricultural irrigation, and Pakistan's achievements in agricultural cultivation are obvious to all. However, due to climatic conditions and human factors, the existence of the Indus River also makes the people who live here blessed and dependent.
Drought and flood by the day of Pakistan
Although the Indus River is abundant, due to the influence of the Indian Ocean summer winds, the runoff is unevenly distributed in different months – atmospheric precipitation and glacial meltwater are concentrated in the summer, and about 84% of the Indus River's water is also received during the three monsoon months (July-September). The two water sources are superimposed at the same time, which can easily cause flooding.
It rains several times a year, and once it rains directly into place
(hand hands, lord lords photo: one map network)▼
According to relevant economic reports, about 715,000 people in Pakistan are affected by floods every year, causing economic losses of up to US$2.7 billion (about 17.2 billion yuan). Sudden flooding disrupted crop growth and damaged the overall economic situation that year. For example, floods in late July 2010 caused at least 550,000 hectares of farmland to be destroyed, 20 million people to be affected and food shortages.
Satellite image of floods during heavy rains in 2010, floods spread to both sides of the strait
The real course of the Indus River is actually a very thin ▼in the middle dotted line
According to the latest Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan ranks eighth among the world's most vulnerable countries to the negative effects of climate change, facing losses averaging about US$3.8 billion (about 24.17 billion yuan) per year. Also among the top are many South and Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and India.
Face a map of global climate risks
Countries with narrow and densely populated areas often cannot withstand the blow (Photo: One Map Network)▼
In the Tata, Badin and Sojawal regions of Sindh province, some 809,300 hectares of land have been threatened by seawater intrusions that threaten coastal agriculture. Frequent waterlogging disasters in recent years have increased the risk of crop failures in Pakistan.
Cities close to the coast can flood and the sea water is poured into farmland
(Village surrounded by floods, photo: one map network)▼
Despite repeated floods, Pakistan is still a water-scarce country. According to 2015 data, Pakistan's per capita water availability is 1038 cubic meters, and the per capita water storage is only 159 cubic meters, which is only about 3% of the per capita water storage of the United States.
Under the impact of floods, many otherwise clean water resources will also be polluted
The following year after the disaster usually encounters dry weather (Photo: One Map Network)▼
In general, the country is considered a water-scarce country when the per capita water availability is less than 1,000 cubic meters, and Pakistan has already crossed this threshold and may even be below the absolute water shortage of 500 cubic meters per capita by 2035. Agriculture accounts for 90 per cent of Pakistan's total water use, while about 90 per cent of food production comes from irrigated agriculture.
Take into account the population ratio and the actual control basin area ratio
India does secretly occupy a lot of water resources
Inefficient irrigation systems have left Pakistan wasting a lot of water resources on agricultural production. Although Pakistan claims to have the world's largest contiguous irrigation system, it is also known for its inefficiency.
After years of irrigation, the Indus River can not be consumed no matter how wide it is
Poor irrigation systems lead to low water productivity. In Pakistan, the economic value generated per unit of water consumption is much lower than that of many neighboring countries. For example, the water productivity of wheat in Pakistan is 0.5 kg per cubic meter, which is only half of the water productivity of Wheat in India and one-third of that of California, USA.
The ears of wheat were all a little dry and looked dry and skinny
(Photo: One Map Network)▼
In addition, ultra-low water prices further increase the waste of agricultural water. In Pakistan, where agricultural water is priced at less than 3 per cent of the price of industrial water, farmers with land ownership bear little to no cost of irrigation water. Due to the lack of correct understanding of the value of water, it is not uncommon for Pakistani farmers to waste a lot of water resources in cultivation and to exploit groundwater unscrupulously. In the long run, the salinity content of the regional land increases, forming a vicious circle.
Because there is no shortage of irrigation water, the most convenient flood irrigation is used to moisten the field
According to the data, about 75% of the water in the Indus River is diverted to the canal network for agricultural irrigation, and more than 60% of the water has been lost during the channel transportation process.
In Pakistan, many areas have problems such as backward and obsolete irrigation equipment. Even the Warabandi irrigation water distribution system in the economically better-off province of Punjab has been unable to function properly in many places due to a long-term lack of maintenance. Neighbors also often quarrel over water distribution.
Because there is too much land too arid
Water dispatch is still important, but waste in the process is also serious
(A diversion canal, photo: google map)▼
Pakistan, the water is full of water
Optimizing the rational use of water resources is the foundation of Pakistan's agricultural development.
As a big agricultural country, since the founding of the country in 1956, the Pakistani government has attached great importance to solving the problem of agricultural irrigation water. In 1960, Pakistan and neighboring India signed the Indus Valley Treaty, which defined the ownership of many of the tributaries of the international river and guaranteed sufficient water flow into Pakistan.
Since the Indus River has many tributaries upstream are within the territory of India
This has led to the problem of water security in Pakistan's Punjab province
It was not until the two sides clarified the proportion of water distribution that it was resolved
The location of the Satlej River flowing from India into Pakistan
The presence of a boundary line can be faintly seen
(Pakistan on the left, India on the right)
(Photo: google map)▼
During the "Green Revolution" of the 1960s and 1970s, Pakistan introduced high-yielding wheat and improved rice varieties to increase crop yields. However, the mission of optimizing the irrigation system was not completed, and the results were not satisfactory.
In 1991, the Inter-Provincial Water Apportionment Accord resolved the differences that exist between Pakistan's four provinces. The agreement has played an important role in resolving long-standing disputes over canal water and the share of river water supplies.
Superficially harmonious, but secretly, dams have been built to control the flow of upstream waters
In 1999, India built the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Station on the upper Indus River
It has also encountered international legal turmoil (photo: One Map Network)▼
In 2018, the Pakistani government launched the National Water Policy, which put forward feasible suggestions for future water use from irrigation technology, crop planting and other aspects. For example, in the case of a constant total planting area, the export exchange of crops such as sugar cane, cotton and rice with larger water demands is replaced by corn and oil crops with less water demand, and more advanced agricultural irrigation techniques are used to improve the water use efficiency of crops.
As an agricultural power
The Indus River provides most of the irrigation water in Pakistan
(Don't pay attention to it, pictured: shutterstock)▼
The optimization of irrigation technology mentioned in it is of great significance to the development of plantation industry in Pakistan. To conserve water, the Punjab government and the World Bank have jointly launched a project called PIPIP (2012-2021). The project promotes agricultural water-saving technologies by installing rain guns, drip irrigation and other equipment on about 50,000 hectares of land in Punjab province to replace extensive flood irrigation.
Pakistani peasant women laying drip irrigation pipes for their fields
In addition, the reasonable increase in agricultural water prices is also crucial to Pakistan's agricultural development. On the one hand, raising water prices allows farmers to save water in production; on the other hand, it also facilitates the promotion of water-saving technologies, providing a source of motivation for maintaining the vitality of Pakistan's agriculture.
At the same time, the Government of Pakistan is actively seeking cooperation in the international community to help its own domestic agricultural development. At this year's COP26 meeting, delegates from Pakistan shared the latest Indus Valley Governance Project Plan. The plan will use advanced technologies to improve the management of agriculture and water resources in Pakistan and to increase the resilience of irrigation systems to climate change.
There can be no continuous development of agriculture without irrigation as a basis. Developing long-term water strategies and crop combination planting plans for each region of the Indus Valley may be the future of sustainable agriculture in Pakistan.
bibliography:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan
2. Qureshi, R., & Ashraf, M. (2019). Water security issues of agriculture in Pakistan. PAS Islamabad Pak, 1, 41.
3. Muzammil, M., Zahid, A., & Breuer, L. (2020). Water resources management strategies for irrigated agriculture in the Indus Basin of Pakistan. Water, 12(5), 1429.
4. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/906443-pakistan-shares-details-of-indus-basin-project-at-un-cop26
5. Kamal, S. S. (2009). Use of water for agriculture in Pakistan: Experiences and challenges.
*The content of this article is provided by the author and does not represent the position of the Earth Knowledge Bureau
Cover: NASA
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