THE water requirements of Pakistan’s agriculture sector, which consumes nearly 90 per cent of the nation’s water, continue to rise due to multiple factors. The sector is striving to meet the food demand of a growing population by increasing crop yields, improving cropping intensity, and expanding cultivated land by reclaiming barren areas like Cholistan. All of these rely, in varying degrees, on water.

Climate change — manifested through rising temperatures and recurring heatwaves — is another factor. The year 2024 was the hottest on record, while the 2010s remained the warmest decade in history. Such rising temperatures have not only increased the water requirements of almost all crops but also exacerbated water losses in irrigation channels.

Most alarmingly, Pakistan’s evolving cropping patterns are increasingly dominated by water-intensive crops, particularly rice and sugarcane. From 2011-12 to 2023-24, the area under rice (paddy) cultivation surged by 41pc, from 2.57 million to 3.63m hectares, while sugarcane acreage grew by 12pc, from 1.06m to 1.18m hectares. Likewise, maize cultivation has also grown significantly by 51pc during the same period.

On the supply side, overall surface water availability is declining due to reduced river flow and diminished storage capacity caused by reservoir sedimentation. Already, per capita water availability has fallen below 1,000 cubic meters, and Pakistan is currently classified as water-scarce.

Alarmingly, Pakistan’s evolving cropping patterns are........

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