FAO INVESTMENT CENTRE OCCASIONAL PAPER SERIES NO. 15 December 2003 PAKISTAN SINDH WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT – ISSUES AND OPTIONS By A. Azad with contributions from: M. Aslam Rasheed and Yameen Memon FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS – ROME INVESTMENT CENTRE DIVISION FAO/WORLD BANK COOPERATIVE PROGRAMME PAKISTAN SINDH WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPTIONS CONTENTS A. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1 B. OBJECTIVES OF THE WATER RESOURCE SECTOR ...................................................1 Overall Water Polices............................................................................................................1 Changing Responsibilities in the Water Sector ..................................................................2 Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA)..............................................................3 C. WATER RESOURCES CONTRIBUTIONS TO AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT............................................................................................................................4 Irrigation and Drainage Assets in Sindh.............................................................................9 Waterlogging and Salinity ..................................................................................................11 Flood Control.......................................................................................................................12 Operation and Maintenance (O&M) .................................................................................13 Water Resources Planning and Management...................................................................15 D. WATER RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS...............................................................................17 (i) Supplies...........................................................................................................................17 1. Climate...................................................................................................................17 2. Water Resources ...................................................................................................17 (ii) Demand..........................................................................................................................21 (iii) Current Status of the Irrigation and Drainage Infrastructure ...............................23 Water Distribution Inequities...................................................................................23 E. ALLEVIATING CONSTRAINTS.........................................................................................26 Hydrological Data, Geographic Information Systems and Planning .............................27 Improving the Quality of Irrigation and Drainage Services ...........................................28 Application of Advanced Irrigation Techniques ..............................................................30 Generation of Additional Water Resources ......................................................................32 Demand Management .........................................................................................................34 Estimates of Water Saving from Improved Efficiency ..........................................35 Estimated Costs for Rehabilitation and Modernization ........................................36 Optimising the Bank’s Role in Water and Irrigation and Drainage Policy Reform.....39 Investments (Programme versus Project, Software versus Hardware)................39 PAKISTAN: Sindh Water Resources Management – Issues and Options FIGURES 1. Location Map of Sindh Province..........................................................................................5 2. Agro-Ecological Zones of the Sindh Province.....................................................................8 3. Irrigation System of the Lower Indus Basin- Sindh Province.........................................10 4. Sindh Province: Operation and Maintenance Expenditure ...........................................14 5. O&M Expenditure: Water Charge Assessment and Recovery......................................15 6. Water Balance for the Sindh Province (Irrigation and Drainage) .................................20 BOXES 1. Groundwater Markets in Pakistan ....................................................................................22 2. The present state of the Irrigation and Drainage Infrastructure ...................................23 3. The effect of Direct Outlets (DO) on the Nara Canal.......................................................23 4. Suggested Measures for Improvement in O&M Funding ...............................................29 5. Desirable Elements in a Provential Irrigation Water Conservation Program ..............31 ATTACHMENTS 1. Summary and Framework of the Pakistan Water Sector Strategy 2. Logical Framework for an Irrigation and Drainage Modernization Programme ii PAKISTAN: Sindh Water Resources Management – Issues and Options CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency Unit = Pakistani Rupee (Rs) US$1.0 = Rs 60.55 FISCAL YEAR July 1 -June 30 MEASURES AND EQUIVALENTS 1 meter = 3.28 feet 1 ha = 2.47 acres 1 km = 0.620 miles 1 cubic meter (m3) = 35.310 cubic feet 1 million acre foot (MAF) = 1.234 Billion cubic meter (Bm3) 1 cubic feet per second (cusec) = 28.5 litre per second (l/s) 0.0285 cubic meter per second (m3/s) ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Abiana Water Charge AWB Area Water Board Bm3 Billion cubic meter CCA Cultivable Command Area EPA Environmental Protection Agency ERR Economic Rate of Return FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FGW Fresh Groundwater FO Farmer Organization GOP Government of Pakistan IBIS Indus Basin Irrigation System IPTRID International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage IWASRI International Waterlogging and Salinity Research Institute LBOD Left Bank Outfall Drain M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MW&P Ministry of Water and Power NDP National Drainage Project NGO Non-Government Organization NWP National Water Policy O&M Operations and Maintenance iii PAKISTAN: Sindh Water Resources Management – Issues and Options OFWM On-Farm Water Management PID Provincial Irrigation Department PIDA Provincial Irrigation and Drainage Authority RBOD Right Bank Outfall Drain SCARP Salinity Control and Reclamation Project SIDA Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority TA Technical Assistance TYYDP Ten Year Perspective Development Plan WAPDA Water and Power Development Authority WCA Watercourse Association WUA Water User Association iv PAKISTAN: Sindh Water Resources Management – Issues and Options FOREWORD In 2000, the Federal Government of Pakistan transferred the responsibility for management and development of water resources to its Provincial Governments. Irrigated agriculture is important in poverty alleviation in Sindh Province, where this study was undertaken on behalf of the Government of Sindh and the World Bank. This paper presents issues and options for water resources management, in particular in the irrigation and drainage sub-sector. The paper outlines operations and maintenance; service delivery; on-farm productivity; asset management and, most importantly, modernization in place of rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage infrastructure, as rehabilitation has been found to perpetuate the vicious cycle of “building, neglecting and rebuilding”. This paper is leading to the preparation of the Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project, under proposal for financing by the World Bank. The preparation of the paper was by the FAO Investment Centre. The study is relevant to other countries interested to improve management of their water resources. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the authors or the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. (This paper was originally published as FAO Investment Centre Report No. 03/069 CP-PAK) v PAKISTAN SINDH WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT – ISSUES AND OPTIONS A. INTRODUCTION 1. The water sector is expected to fulfil social, environmental and economic needs. In a context of growing water scarcity exacerbated by rapid population growth and urbanization, misallocation of resources, environmental degradation such as seawater intrusion, and mismanagement of water resources, the Sindh province faces new challenges, which call for a new approach to water resources management. Water is a single resource with many competing uses. Experience has adequately demonstrated that water management is complex and multi-level and requires a comprehensive framework. A sectoral or sub-sectoral approach needs therefore to be replaced by an integrated approach, which takes account of social, economic, and environmental objectives, assesses water resources, evaluates and manages water demand, and seeks stakeholders’ participation. A long-term vision is required to set the tone and provide the guidance for Sindh's on-going water sector reforms. 2. This paper reviews the objectives and roles of federal and provincial government and non-Government entities in management of water in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh, the contribution of the sector to agriculture and rural development,