Watershed Rehabilitation and Irrigation Improvement in Pakistan: Demonstrating and Disseminating the Best Practices and Technologies to Help Rural Farmers

Project Director: Dr M Asif Khan
Executing Staff: Dr.Samina Siddiqui, Wajid Ali, Shabir, Usman and Khalid Latif.
Fund/Cost: USDA-30 million rupees
Duration: 3 years - 2010-2014.
Demonstration Sites:Paniyala and Tank Districts in D.I.Khan.
Activitites: Development of demonstration sites, Dessimination and knowledge gaps.

Objective                       

• To introduce and promote adaptation of optimal and integrated water and land management technologies for sustainable increases in agricultural productivity and profitability as well as for reducing land degradation in Pakistan’s watersheds.

Target Group                                                      

• Farmers and rural communities for whom improved water management is necessary to maintain and/or improve farmer productivity and incomes.
• Farmers from Afghanistan

Expected outputs

• Increased water availability for agriculture and promotion of indigenous and new techniques for water and land management on farm and watersheds.
• Technological packages that improve agricultural productivity, generate higher incomes and better economic returns for farmers in Pakistani’s watershed. Improved irrigation technologies are expected to save huge amounts of scarce water resources.
• Institutional and policy options developed
• Capacity building and knowledge management products: farmers in target communities, as well as national research and extension staff will be trained and use generated knowledge to plan, implement, manage integrated water and land management systems.

Project description

• This project was started in Oct 2011 and will continue till Oct 2014. National Centre of Excellence in Geology-University of Peshawar in collaboration with ICARDA started the pilot project in Paniyal and Tank districts of DIKhan.

Activities accomplished

Check dams/gully plugging, Mulching, Micro-catchments, Water application and distribution structures, On farm water pond, Drip bucket irrigation system, Professional trainings