Abstract
Water plays a significant role in Pakistan’s agriculture sector, which is backbone of the country’s economy. Presently, agriculture consumes a heavy amount (96%) of available resource base but most of it is wasted due to poor management practices. Over the years, the water supply to agriculture has moved from canal to groundwater, leading to over extraction. Water use (or misuse) has demonstrated consequences in the form of low water productivity, groundwater depletion and poor governance. There is a pressing need for a new mindset and necessary actions in the agriculture sector, to gain higher productivity with less water usage. This may be possible through the adoption of Regenerative Agriculture (RA) or Nature-based Agriculture (NbA). Both RA and NbA focus on restoring soil health that allows microorganisms to flourish and conserve the water that is already in the soil thus reducing significantly the need for artificial fertilizers, tillage, and watering. In Pakistan, private advisory groups, such as PEDAVER/PQNK, are showcasing the benefits of NbS and RA, which not only produce healthy and cost-effective food to meet domestic and export needs but also reduce the use of water. RA practices and technologies for conserving water are highlighted in the chapter. It is important to implement such policies and programs at the national level, which promote RA and eliminate obstacles in its adoption.
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Notes
- 1.
This is a next generation planter. Developed by Monosem, it ensures that land is used to its full potential while also protecting it. It can be used for maize, sugar beets, sunflowers, rapeseed beans, soybean and sorghum seeds. It keeps an inter-row distance of 45 to 80 cm, with a capacity of 6–12 rows.
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Qamar, M.K., Sharif, A., Ahmad, M., Jalil, H., Bajwa, A. (2023). Agriculture and Water. In: Ahmad, M. (eds) Water Policy in Pakistan. Global Issues in Water Policy, vol 30. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36131-9_10
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