Economic and environmental impact assessment of sustainable future irrigation practices in the Indus Basin of Pakistan

Muzammil, Muhammad; Zahid, Azlan

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-02913-9

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…It is essential to notice that the Brazilian cost structure differs from other countries, like Pakistan, where, according to Muzammil, Zahid, and Breuer 64 , a considerable share of sugarcane crop cost constitutes the irrigation structure. Moreover, besides adding cost to the production, the irrigation process may also increase pollution once it is based on diesel power.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring climate change’s impact on different sugarcane varieties production in the South of Goiás

Cruz

Machado

2023

Sci Rep

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A crucial aspect analysed during the last years, aiming to improve sugarcane production, is the impact of climate change on sugarcane productivity. One of the strategies to mitigate climate change's impact on sugarcane yield is the development of new varieties known to positively affect crop production. This paper analysed how climate change impacts sugarcane production regarding the different planted varieties. Data regarding sugarcane harvest were collected from a cooperative in the south of Goiás state—Brazil, the second biggest national sugarcane producer. Results indicate that climate impact on sugarcane yield is irrelevant when controlling for different varieties. Considering the results presented in this work, the Brazilian government should keep the incentives for the development of new sugarcane varieties and, at the same time, spur sugarcane producers to use the new sugarcane varieties. The results imply that if the variety is correctly chosen, sugarcane can be produced without harming the environment, contributing to reaching SDG 15. Moreover, it is less probable that an adverse climatic event will destroy the planted area, preventing sugarcane producers from severe loss and contributing to achieving SDGs number 1 and 2.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring climate change’s impact on different sugarcane varieties production in the South of Goiás

Cruz

Machado

2023

Sci Rep

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“…See Figure S3 in the supplementary information for a visualized representation of fertilizer use, %irrigation, and yield in these 17 countries. This suggests that factors such as water management, and deterioration of irrigation infrastructure are playing a role in suppressing crop yield in this country (Muzammil et al, 2021).…”

Section: Efficient Irrigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of global sorghum production, tolerance, and climate risk

Khalifa

Eltahir

2023

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Some cereal crops can withstand harsh growing conditions, and, hence, can be considered an important line of defense against food shortage under climate change. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech) is the main food crop for millions of people, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This crop performs well under input constraints (e.g., limited water) and exhibits high resilience to adverse climate conditions (e.g., high temperature, drought, and waterlogging), making it a star crop for combating hunger under climate change. However, sorghum and other similar crops are not tolerant in absolute terms. Climate change could push the growing conditions of these crops beyond the limits they can tolerate, jeopardizing the food security of millions of people around the world. In this research, we analyzed the current status of sorghum production, trends, and factors controlling sorghum yield using empirical approaches. Especially in sub-Saharan Africa, this crop is cultivated widely under unfavorable climate conditions and sub-optimal input levels. Our findings raise multiple concerns as well as highlight opportunities for the sustainability of sorghum cultivation in a future with climate change. Sorghum yield seems to increase persistently despite global warming due to an improved inputs approach, offering hope that similar adaptation approaches can be fruitful, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. A combination of interventions including adequate use of fertilizers and technology adoption (e.g., tolerant cultivars), efficient management (e.g. improved irrigation), and better agronomic practices, is the key to boosting sorghum yield and ensuring the sustainability of this important crop under a warmer climate.

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“…Similarly, the large subsidies on electricity for tube well users (Qureshi, 2018) might be causing huge economic loss to the national exchequer. Moreover, the loss of precious foreign exchange on diesel imports for the 1.2 million diesel-driven tube wells and emission of greenhouse gases due to diesel combustion (Muzammil et al, 2021) might have serious financial and environmental implications for livelihoods and food security. There is little or no research focusing on the water productivity, energy use and related environmental issues of rice crops in Pakistan.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing water productivity and energy use for irrigating rice in Pakistan

Akbar

Hameed

Iqbal

2022

Irrigation and Drainage

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Overirrigation of rice crops from groundwater negatively impacts water productivity, energy use and the environment in Pakistan. Therefore, four decades (1981–2020) of data on rice crop area and production were assessed for water productivity, and alternative options for irrigation application and energy use were explored. The results show a maximum average yield of 2.42 t ha‾¹ and water productivity of 0.16 kg m‾3 (6211 L kg‾¹) for the last decade (2011–2020), with an average decadal yield increase of 14%. The last year's rice crop during 2020 consumed 14.43 million acre‐feet (MAF) of groundwater, assuming a minimum irrigation application of 1500 mm per season. The maximum equivalent energy required for pumping is approximately 386 MW for electrical and 4966 MW for diesel‐driven tube wells. Diesel combustion for pumping caused 1.26 million t (467 kg ha‾¹) of CO2 emissions per season. The capital cost for converting all installed capacities of electrical (2311 MW, PKR 481 billion) and diesel (16 517 MW, PKR 1909 billion) tube wells to solar energy can be recovered in less than 4 years. Improved governance and optimized site‐specific solar system designs can avoid undergoing groundwater. Improving water productivity and using solar energy for irrigation indicates the prospects of improved sustainability of rice crops in Pakistan.

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Economic and environmental impact assessment of sustainable future irrigation practices in the Indus Basin of Pakistan

Cited by 11 publications

References 61 publications

Measuring climate change’s impact on different sugarcane varieties production in the South of Goiás

Measuring climate change’s impact on different sugarcane varieties production in the South of Goiás

Assessment of global sorghum production, tolerance, and climate risk

Assessing water productivity and energy use for irrigating rice in Pakistan

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