Achieving sustainable environment through climate smart irrigation management: a call from an emerging economy

Abstract

South Asia, the home of 23% population of the world, is adversely affected by climate change, global warming, floods, hurricanes and heat waves. Pakistan, as a member country of South Asia, is the 5th country in the world which is most vulnerable to climatic changes. The country has faced many challenges including deaths of 9989 individuals, economic loss of worth $ 3.8 billion, and more than 150 unexpected weathers during last two decades. Global climate index also mentioned that Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change will rise even further in coming years. Pollution from agriculture sector is believed to be the largest significant contributor for this situation that accounts for 41% of total pollution. The above stats paint a bleak picture of future for the country and calls for emergency measures, to be taken on war like footings, if future climatic impact is to be minimized. With this background, we argue that climate smart agriculture (CSA) may be a strategic option that can help the country for improving agricultural productivity and income, as well as building resilience to climate change and environmental management. The present research study highlights the importance of CSA in the context of an emerging economy like Pakistan and suggests some strategic considerations for policy makers in order to improve the current environmental situation, mainly caused by widespread pollution in the country.