An Assessment of Environmental Impact on Agriculture in the Indus Delta Pakistan

Abstract

The agriculture sector in Pakistan is still the country backbone. Indus Delta was historically recognized as fertile land but the present study revealed that the severe kind of water-flow and sediment discharge from River Indus to the Deltaic area has changed the situation and deteriorated the greatest part of the agricultural land in the delta. Earlier, during the 1980s, the water flow condition of the Indus River used to be good. The finding related to the land degradation and its impact on the agricultural sector has been compiled and analyzed. (i) The results show that a large area has been submerged by the sea invasion, causing about 26% of the land of six coastal administrative units (Talukas) unusable (ii) The data collected for the period of 1998–99 to 2007–08 show extreme losses in cultivable area and more than 80% of the land was abandoned. (iii) The data collected for the same period related to the yield of rice, sugarcane and sesame also show a declining trend. (iv) Based on a survey conducted in the region, the annual earning of a farmer’s family was estimated to be only $ 2 US per day. If enough water were supplied to the delta for agricultural and coastal areas or sea then the situation will be improved.