INTEGRATED WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT FOR FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE IMPROVEMENT OF LIVELIHOOD IN BARANI, PAKISTAN Assessments and options for improved productivity and sustainability of natural resources in Dhrabi watershed, Pakistan Editors: T. Oweis and M. Ashraf 1994 Copyright © 2012 ICARDA (Internaonal Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas). All rights reserved. ICARDA encourages fair use of this material for non-commercial purposes, with proper citaon. Citaon: T. Oweis, M. Ashraf (eds) (2012). Assessment and Opons for Improved Producvity and Sustainability of Natural Resources in Dhrabi Watershed Pakistan. ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria. xviii + 205 pp. ISBN: 92-9127-269-8 Internaonal Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria. Tel: (963-21) 2213433 Fax: (963-21) 2213490 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.icarda.org The views expressed are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of ICARDA. Where trade names are used, it does not imply endorsement of, or discriminaon against, any product by the Center. Maps have been used to support research data, and are not intended to show polical boundaries. Acknowledgement The study was conducted with the financial support of Austrian Development Agency through CGIAR Targeted Funding. The authors would like to thank Austrian Government for this support. The authors are grateful to Mr. Muhammad Akram, former Director Soil and Water Conservaon Instute (SAWCRI) Chakwal and Dr. Akhtar Ali, former Irrigaon Engineer, ICARDA for their support during the study. The assistance of Mr. Muhammad Iefaq Field Invesgator and Mr. Shahid Munir Sub Engineer, SAWCRI in data collecon, community mobilizaon and equipment installaons are highly appreciated. The authors are also obliged to Ms Dabbagh Rima for following up on the manuscript from first dra to its final publicaon. Collaborang instutes and project team ICARDA Technical Advisory Commiee Theib Oweis, Director, IWLMP Theib Oweis, ICARDA Akhtar Ali, Project Coordinator Abdul Majid, ICARDA Abdul Majid, Country Representave Mohammad Akram, SAWCRI Muhammad Ashraf, Consultant Andreas Klik, BOKU (Vienna University) Abid Mahmoud, BARI SAWCRI Malik Fateh Khan, NRSP Mohammad Akram, Director Mohammad Yasin, WRRI (PARC) Bashir Hussein, AE/GIS Specialist Mohammad Azim, PARC Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal, ARO Safdar Ali, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Muhammad Rafique Sajjad, ARO Sarwat Naz Mirza, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Abdur Razzaq, ARO Sarfraz Ahmad, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Shahid Hussain, Field Engineer Aa-ur-Rehman Tariq, Centre of Excellence in Water Resource Engineering BARI Akhtar Ali, ICARDA Abid Mahmood, Director Mohammad Aab, Horculturist Ishfaq Ahmad, Socio-economist Nasarullah Khan Adil, Crop Scienst Vienna University Andreas Klik, Modeling/Soil Erosion Expert PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Safdar Ali, Soil and Water Management Moazzam Nizami, Range Management Abdul Khaliq, Range Management Arshad Mahmoud, Economist NRSP Mohammad Nadim, Community Organizer Watershed Associaon Gul Haider Shah, President Abdul Mahfooz, Manager iii Contents Execuve Summary ix Project overview xi T. Oweis and M. Ashraf Chapter 1: Characteriscs of Dhrabi watershed Barani, Pakistan 1 A. Khaliq, T. Oweis, A. Mahmood, S. Nizami, M. Ashraf, A. Majid, and A. Ali 1.1 Summary 1 1.2 Background 2 1.3 Watershed selecon 3 1.4 Watershed characterizaon 3 1.4.1 Methodology 3 1.4.2 Scope of the study 4 1.5 Area distribuon and demography 4 1.5.1 Area and populaon 4 1.5.2 Economic empowerment and social status 7 1.5.3 Farming experience 7 1.6 Availability of water resources and irrigaon sources 11 1.7 Livestock, producon and markeng 11 1.7.1 Livestock resources 11 1.7.2 Small ruminant producon 13 1.8 Vegetaon 13 1.8.1 Vegetaon type 14 1.8.2 Vegetaon cover 14 1.8.3 Vegetaon density 16 1.8.4 Vegetaon composion and percent frequency 18 1.8.5 Importance value index 19 1.8.6 Producvity of woody vegetaon 20 1.8.7 Range carrying capacity 21 1.9 Rehabilitaon of vegetaon 24 1.10 Conclusions 24 1.11 References 25 Chapter 2: Improving land and water producvies in the Dhrabi watershed 27 A. Mahmood, T. Oweis, M. Ashraf, M. Aab, N. Khan Aadal, I. Ahmad, M. R. Sajjad, and A. Majid 2.1 Summary 27 2.2 Introducon 28 2.3 Methodology 30 2.3.1 Wheat yield improvement under rainfed condions 33 2.3.2 Wheat yield improvement with supplemental irrigaon 33 2.3.3 Groundnut yield improvement under rainfed condions and with SI 33 2.3.4 Summer and winter fodder yield improvement 34 2.3.5 Crop producon in gullies 35 2.3.6 Producon of high value crops 35 2.3.7 Gypsum applicaons 36 v 2.4 Results and discussion 37 2.4.1 Rainfall analysis 37 2.4.2 Wheat yield improvement under rainfed condions 38 2.4.3 Wheat yield improvement with an efficient irrigaon system and SI 42 2.4.4 Groundnut yield improvement under rainfed condions and with SI 46 2.4.5 Summer and winter fodder yield improvement 47 2.4.6 Crop producon in gullies 47 2.4.7 Producon of high value crops 47 2.4.8 Effect of applying gypsum on crop producon 51 2.5 Conclusions and recommendaons 57 2.5.1 Conclusions 57 2.5.2 Recommendaons 58 2.6 References 58 Chapter 3: Natural resources degradaon: assessment and opons for improvement 61 M. N. Iqbal, T. Oweis, M. Ashraf, B. Hussain, A. Ali, A. Majid, and G. Nabi 3.1 Summary 61 3.2 Introducon 62 3.3 Material and methods 63 3.3.1 Site selecon 63 3.3.2 Characterizaon of small catchments 63 3.3.3 Weather and runoff 68 3.3.4 Measurement of sediments 69 3.3.5 Measurements of nutrients in the sediment 71 3.3.6 Survey of the eroded gullies 71 3.3.7 Erosion control measures 71 3.4 Results and discussion 73 3.4.1 Rainfall characteriscs 73 3.4.2 Dominant erosion processes in the watershed 74 3.4.3 Assessment of current status of gully erosion 76 3.4.4 Rainfall-runoff relaon 77 3.4.5 Mass curves 78 3.4.6 Discharge measurements 81 3.4.7 Weighted average rainfall 81 3.4.8 Rainfall-runoff modeling 81 3.4.9 Total sediment yield 88 3.4.10 Nutrient analysis of sediments 92 3.4.11 Runoff coefficients 92 3.4.12 Predicon of sediment delivery to Dhrabi reservoir 95 3.4.13 Land-use acvies affecng erosion processes 96 3.4.14 Impact of intervenons on soil and water conservaon 97 3.4.15 Conclusions and recommendaons 97 3.5 References 98 Chapter 4: Spaal and temporal analysis of water quality in Dhrabi watershed 101 M. Ashraf, T. Oweis, A. Razzaq, B. Hussain, and A. Majid 4.1 Summary 101 4.2 Introducon 102 4.3 Material and methods 102 vi 4.3.1 Surface water quality monitoring 103 4.3.2 Groundwater quality monitoring 103 4.3.3 Water-table monitoring 104 4.3.4 Wastewater monitoring 104 4.3.5 Soil samples 105 4.3.6 Parameter analysis 105 4.3.7 Water quality standards 105 4.4 Results and discussion 107 4.4.1 Surface water quality 107 4.4.2 Groundwater Quality 111 4.4.3 Water-table depth 117 4.4.4 Wastewater situaon 118 4.4.5 Sources of salinity for the water 118 4.4.6 Review of policy documents 120 4.5 References 121 Chapter 5: Soil erosion assessment in Dhrabi watershed 125 A. Klik, W. Raanaareekul, and T. Bushsbaum 5.1 Introducon 125 5.2 Main research objecves 127 5.3 Materials and methods 127 5.3.1 Descripon of the invesgated watershed 127 5.3.2 Dominant soil series and their common properes in the invesgated watershed 132 5.3.3 Field invesgaon 136 5.3.4 Simulaon models 142 5.3.5 Model calibraon 151 5.3.6 Soil conservaon measures 152 5.4 Results and discussion 152 5.4.1 Input parameters for RUSLE 152 5.4.2 Input data for WEPP 162 5.4.3 Model calibraon and verificaon 166 5.4.4 Surface runoff calculaons 170 5.4.5 Soil erosion and sediment yield calculaons 180 5.5 Summary and conclusions 185 5.6 References 191 Appendices 195 Annex 1 Inial surface water quality (2007) 195 Annex 2 EC (dS/m) of the surface water monitoring points 196 Annex 3 SAR of the surface water monitoring points (refer to Chapter 4, Figure 4.1) 198 Annex 4 RSC (meq/L) of the surface water monitoring points 200 Annex 5 EC (dS/m) of the groundwater 202 Annex 6 SAR of the groundwater 202 Annex 7 RSC (meq/L) of the groundwater 203 Annex 8 Scienfic and local names of trees, shrubs and grasses 204 vii Execuve Summary Water scarcity is a major concern in Pakistan, as in many countries worldwide. Both availability (quanty) and quality of water are declining, due to agricultural expansion, populaon growth, urbanizaon and industrializaon. Per capita water availability in Pakistan has fallen from 5600 m3 in 1947 to about 1000 m3 currently. Out of 80 million hectares (Mha) of land, around 41 Mha are arid, and populated mostly by poor communies whose livelihoods are at subsistence levels. Agricultural producvity in these areas is very low as a result of low and errac rainfall, mismanagement of runoff, soil erosion, small and fragmented landholdings, and low level of inputs. This report summarizes results from a large mul-partner project, Integrated watershed development for food security and sustainable improvement of livelihood in Barani, Pakistan. The project (2007 to 2010) aimed to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate cost-effecve technologies for monitoring and use of water and land resources at watershed scale.