Pro-poor irrigation management interventions in Punjab, Pakistan: issues and options

The paper discusses the pro-poor irrigation management issues and options in Pakistan in the context of global research and thematic framework. It highlights the irrigation sector strategies and interventions under consideration and implementation in Punjab for addressing the challenges of poverty alleviation. Despite the expansion of irrigated agriculture that brought significant increases in food production in the past three decades, there remain vast areas in the established irrigation systems where productivity and income of farmers remain quite poor. This is attributed to inequitable distribution of surface water and groundwater caused by inadequate management and a range of other physical, socio-economic and institutional constraints. The global research identifies the need for proactive policies and actions, and that how the economic, institutional, governance, and technical interventions can address poverty-related constraints.The \u2018Mission\u2019 of irrigation management recently developed is to provide equitable and sustained irrigation to the culturable land of the Punjab for increased productivity, social security, poverty alleviation, and rural development, thus, ensuring that the food security of the Punjab province and food deficit of other provinces is met. In this context, the most important objective is to provide irrigation water in an equitable manner to large and small farmers alike as per their allocations. The paper also highlights other pro-poor strategies and interventions undertaken in the province, which include institutional reforms, development of water resources in barani (rainfed) areas, environmental protection strategies, alternate rate mechanism, and groundwater management.