Punjab irrigation sector: 'low surface-water delivery efficiency among key challenges'

A World Bank report has stated that the key challenges in the irrigation sector of Punjab are low surface water delivery efficiency (only about 35-40 percent from the canal head to crop root zone), while water distribution inequities and lack of storage capacity & control structures.
Wasteful on-farm water use and low water productivity; water-logging and salinity, poor operation and maintenance (O&M) and low cost recovery, and a constrained investment climate are other major problems.
WB report stated that these issues and problems are a manifestation of institutional weaknesses in the sector, which is mainly due to the near exclusive control by public sector entities, characterised by the usual inefficiencies of centralised bureaucracies, lack of corporate skills, and poor client (farmer) focus and accountability.
The report mentioned that despite its declining share of Pakistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimated at 22 percent in 2009 - agriculture remains central to the country's economy. It is the single most important source of employment and exports, accounting for two-thirds of employment and 80 percent of exports. Because of its arid climate, irrigation is vital to agricultural production and it represents more than 95 percent of the total consumptive use of water.
Pakistan relies on the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world, the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS), to provide basic food security (90 percent of food production). However, this massive infrastructure is deteriorating and is in need of modernisation along with reforms to improve the allocation of water as well as the efficiency of its use, the report added.
Moreover, WB report pointed out that the competition for water is growing among Pakistan's provinces, and demand from irrigation, industry, domestic use, and the environment is rising. Significant new investment is critical, not only in irrigation, but also for other uses of water, including power generation, urban-industrial, and domestic supplies. Only 50 percent of Pakistan's population is served by a formal water supply system and less than 10 percent have access to sanitation and water treatment services. Alarmingly, per capita water availability is declining, it warned.
At the same time, WB report stated that there is uncontrolled pollution of surface and groundwater from agriculture, industry and Pakistan's rapidly growing cities.
Masood Ahmad, Lead Water Resources Specialist of World Bank mentioned that Pakistan has made progress in reforming irrigation institutions through programs that the Bank has been supporting for more than a decade. Irrigation management is being decentralised at the canal command level and the farmers' participation is being enhanced through distributary/minor-canal level farmers organisation.
In particular, Sindh and Punjab provinces have made considerable progress and hundreds of FOs has been developed in many canal commands. The institutional reform programme is time intensive, and involves complexities that would take time to resolve, consolidate and show tangible outcome. The World Bank has ongoing operations to deepen and broaden the institutional reform program to improve the long-term sustainability of the IBIS, he added.
In parallel, he mentioned that it is vital to improve irrigation applications practices, modernise delivery and application systems, and enhance water use efficiency and productivity that would generate substantial benefits and help to solidify reform program. Since water, not land, is the major constraining factor to increasing production, water conservation is fundamental for ensuring food production/security in future.
The new project programme aims to improve water conservation, demand management, and water productivity by scaling up tested technologies: (i) watercourse improvements to enhance delivery of water from distributary canals to the field, which is the part of the system where losses are highest; (ii) laser land levelling that improves field irrigation application efficiency, seed germination, and fertiliser use effectiveness; and (iii) installation of drip and high efficiency irrigation systems which improves water efficiency, conservation, productivity and crop diversification.
Masood stated that the new proposed project is fully in line with the FY10 -13 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS). The CPS is organised around four pillars: (i) improving economic governance; (ii) improving human development and social protection; (iii) improving infrastructure to support growth; and (iv) improving security and reducing the risk of conflict. Punjab Irrigation Productivity Improvement Program Project is guided by the strategic principles of the third pillar by engaging in a program that would strengthen irrigation infrastructure and agricultural competitiveness, he added.
He pointed out that by supporting Pakistan's water use efficiency and encouraging technology that would promote crop diversification and increase productivity, the proposed project is supports World Bank's particular emphasis on improving the efficiency of irrigation systems. World Bank has a long history of partnership and collaboration with Pakistan in the water sector.
As a key partner and principal donor, it has provided support to several main interventions in the development of the IBIS, including (i) facilitating the Indus Water Treaty negotiations between Pakistan and India; (ii) establishing the Indus Basin Development Fund that supported the construction of Mangla and Tarbela Dams and several inter-river link canals and barrages; (iii) formulation of the Salinity Control and Reclamation Programme (SCARP-1968); (iv) formulating the Revised Action Plan for Irrigated Agriculture in 1979; (v) assisting in the development of the Water Sector Investment Planning Study (WSIPS) in 1991; and (vi) providing guidance on the Drainage Sector Environmental Assessment in 1993 which contributed to the development of the Ninth Five Year Plan, he claimed.
Most importantly, Masood said, the bank developed the Irrigation and Drainage Strategy of 1994 (grey cover Pakistan: Irrigation and Drainage Issues and Options 11884-PAK) and the Pakistan Water CAS (Pakistan's Water Economy Running Dry, 2005 34081-PK) that led to a major shift in the I&D sector of Pakistan and the implementation of the current institutional reform agenda. The bank has supported several On Farm Water Management Projects and has helped to introduce innovation in these operations in all provinces of Pakistan, he added.
He said that the government recognises the World Bank's continuous and positive role in the I&D sector, and particularly sees a natural role for the Bank in this project. The bank's involvement is also crucial for ensuring proper implementation of the Project innovation and introduction of new technologies. In addition to its financing, the government is seeking support from the WB for its knowledge, expertise and experience in the sector, he added.