Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan
Waterlogging and salinity have plagued irrigated agriculture in the Indus Basin for the past 30-40 years. Approximately 6 million ha (35-40% of total irrigated area) experience these twin problems. As a result, the production potential of the Indus Basin has been reduced by 25%. Over the last 40 yea...
| Autores principales: | , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2009
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| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40655 |
| _version_ | 1855537829123194880 |
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| author | Qureshi, Asad Sarwar Sarwar, A. |
| author_browse | Qureshi, Asad Sarwar Sarwar, A. |
| author_facet | Qureshi, Asad Sarwar Sarwar, A. |
| author_sort | Qureshi, Asad Sarwar |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Waterlogging and salinity have plagued irrigated agriculture in the Indus Basin for the past 30-40 years. Approximately 6 million ha (35-40% of total irrigated area) experience these twin problems. As a result, the production potential of the Indus Basin has been reduced by 25%. Over the last 40 years, the Government of Pakistan has adopted engineering, reclamation, and biological measures to address these problems. Part of the engineering solution involved large-scale Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects (SCARPs) in all four provinces. The program covered 8 million ha and cost approximately US$2 billion. Two big disposal projects were also initiated to solve the drainage disposal problems. To address the saline soil problem, some of the measures tested include leaching of salts by excess irrigation, use of chemicals (such as gypsum and acids), and addition of organic matter and biological measures (such as salt-tolerant plants, grasses, and shrubs). The success of these initiatives has been limited: 35-40% of irrigated land still suffers from high water tables and moderate to severe salinity. Lack of coordination among federal and provincial governments, research institutes, and national and international organizations; conventional farming and irrigation methods used by farmers; limited attention to reclamation and saline agricultural approaches; and lack of resources are some of the reasons for the low success rate. A more concerted effort that includes a greater focus on saline agriculture, capacity building of farmers, and promotion of local interventions to improve self-reliance is necessary for the management of salinity in the Indus Basin. A sustainable solution would also require coordination among different provinces and strengthening of federal and provincial government agencies. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace40655 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publishDateRange | 2009 |
| publishDateSort | 2009 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace406552023-06-13T04:14:10Z Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan Qureshi, Asad Sarwar Sarwar, A. river basin management salinity control irrigated farming canals soil salinity sodic soils soil reclamation biological control grasses fodder water table effluents tube wells irrigation programs groundwater recharge water quality drainage Waterlogging and salinity have plagued irrigated agriculture in the Indus Basin for the past 30-40 years. Approximately 6 million ha (35-40% of total irrigated area) experience these twin problems. As a result, the production potential of the Indus Basin has been reduced by 25%. Over the last 40 years, the Government of Pakistan has adopted engineering, reclamation, and biological measures to address these problems. Part of the engineering solution involved large-scale Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects (SCARPs) in all four provinces. The program covered 8 million ha and cost approximately US$2 billion. Two big disposal projects were also initiated to solve the drainage disposal problems. To address the saline soil problem, some of the measures tested include leaching of salts by excess irrigation, use of chemicals (such as gypsum and acids), and addition of organic matter and biological measures (such as salt-tolerant plants, grasses, and shrubs). The success of these initiatives has been limited: 35-40% of irrigated land still suffers from high water tables and moderate to severe salinity. Lack of coordination among federal and provincial governments, research institutes, and national and international organizations; conventional farming and irrigation methods used by farmers; limited attention to reclamation and saline agricultural approaches; and lack of resources are some of the reasons for the low success rate. A more concerted effort that includes a greater focus on saline agriculture, capacity building of farmers, and promotion of local interventions to improve self-reliance is necessary for the management of salinity in the Indus Basin. A sustainable solution would also require coordination among different provinces and strengthening of federal and provincial government agencies. 2009 2014-06-13T14:48:07Z 2014-06-13T14:48:07Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40655 en Limited Access Qureshi, Asad Sarwar; Sarwar, A. 2009. Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan. International Journal of River Basin Management, 7(2):111-117. |
| spellingShingle | river basin management salinity control irrigated farming canals soil salinity sodic soils soil reclamation biological control grasses fodder water table effluents tube wells irrigation programs groundwater recharge water quality drainage Qureshi, Asad Sarwar Sarwar, A. Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan |
| title | Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan |
| title_full | Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan |
| title_short | Managing salinity in the Indus Basin of Pakistan |
| title_sort | managing salinity in the indus basin of pakistan |
| topic | river basin management salinity control irrigated farming canals soil salinity sodic soils soil reclamation biological control grasses fodder water table effluents tube wells irrigation programs groundwater recharge water quality drainage |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40655 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qureshiasadsarwar managingsalinityintheindusbasinofpakistan AT sarwara managingsalinityintheindusbasinofpakistan |