Better Management Practices for Thirsty Crops: ensuring sustainable sources of freshwater to support the livelihoods of poor communities in Pakistan
Project Category: Freshwater
Donor Agency: EC
Start Date: Jan 2006
Planned End Date: Dec 2009
Summary
WWF - Pakistan (WWF - P) has, initiated a project titled “Better Management Practices (BMPs) for Water Thirsty Crops” to ensure sustainable sources of freshwater to support the livelihoods of poor communities in Pakistan. This Project will create a mechanism for increasing water availability and reducing pollution by decreasing the amount of water and pesticides used in sugarcane and cotton production. This will be achieved by developing and implementing appropriate ‘on farm’ BMPs in Faisalabad and Bahawalpur; working closely with research centres, target farmers and extension services. The project will work at the local and provincial level in the Faisalabad and Bahawalpur districts of Punjab as well as at the national and international level and will work extensively with new and existing contacts.
WWF - Pakistan will work closely with various stakeholders and local NGOs for the implementation of activities in Pakistan and will subcontract specific expertise from technical consultancies as needed. WWF - Pakistan will be responsible for the project operation. The WWF UK Global Policy unit together with the WWF – Int (GFP) will provide policy support and business engagement guidance to WWF - P throughout the course of the project, as well as mobilizing access to international information and expertise required for implementing the activities.
Objective
The overall objective of the project is:
“Sustainable sources of clean freshwater are available to support the livelihoods of poor communities in Pakistan”
Water availability and quality in Pakistan is currently unable to meet the economic, social, livelihood and environmental needs of the country. This is largely due to an inefficient agricultural system which consumes over 90% of the water abstracted from the Indus for irrigation and is a major polluter of water courses due to the excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
Specific Objectives
- By 2010 small and large-scale sugar and cotton farmers in Faisalabad and Bahawalpur, Punjab province apply Better Management Practices.
2. A local, national and international enabling environment is in place by 2010 to facilitate and encourage the uptake and long-term use of BMPs.
