Climatic Change, Irrigation Water Crisis and Food Security in Pakistan

Abstract

This study describes the effects of climate change on food security in agricultural dependent country,Pakistan. Based on secondary sources of data, the study found out the evidences of climate change and itssevere implications on already inadequate and depleted natural resources of the country. The major effectsof climate change are in terms of rise in temperature, variations in precipitation pattern, increasing glaciermelt,and increasing evaporation and increased irrigation water requirements. In addition, the report focuseson Pakistan’s irrigation structure and existent capacity, irrigation water crisis, trans-boundary waterconflicts (internal and external), food shortage and high inflation rate in food components. This shortage offood is mainly because of low-cropped productivity due to irrigation water crisis. Although the country hasworld’s largest integrated irrigation system, however, the water scarcity has made minds of farmers to shiftcultivation from water intensive crops like rice, wheat, cotton and sugarcane to low water required cropsand vegetables putting pressure on food market. Moreover, the crops yield is also less due to strongevaporation and the severity of temperature during long summer season. The constantly rising temperaturefor over last forty years coupled with variations in rainfall pattern often results into uneven surface wateravailability throughout cropping seasons. Further, extraordinary rise in temperature in mountainous regionof Pakistan, causes extra melting of glaciers along with uneven annual precipitation which frequentlyresults into flash floods with millions of people dislocated and loss of billions of worth in food, standingcrops and infrastructure. Pakistan’s population is increasing with over two percent growth rate; therefore,the chief staple foods like wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, and vegetables have become out of reach of poorpeople and have severe contingent social and economic implications in terms of further enhancing thevulnerability of poor marginalized segments of society.