Pakistan's agricultural sector is at a turning point. Erratic weather patterns, prolonged droughts and pest outbreaks have disrupted crop cycles and affected farmers. Being an agro-based economy, Pakistan is highly vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change, which is now even threatening food security, rural livelihoods and water resources. Given the importance of agriculture to the national economy, as well as people's livelihoods, it is critical to adopt innovative and sustainable approaches to protect this sector. One such solution is making investments in climate-resilient agricultural strategies. It is also necessary as the National Climate Change Policy, too, aims to “develop climate-resilient agriculture and food systems for all agro-ecological zones in the country”.
Pakistan's agriculture sector is a cornerstone of its economy and food security, as it continues to play a pivotal role in economic resilience and rural livelihood, contributing 23.5% to the national GDP and employing over 37% of the labour force. However, the sector faces an existential threat from climate change, as the country remains on the frontlines of the climate emergency. Ranked among the top 10 most vulnerable countries, Pakistan regularly experiences its consequences with devastating impacts. In recent decades, unpredictable rainfall patterns, ranging from untimely torrential downpours to recurring floods, along with sudden fluctuations in temperature, have had a profound impact on agricultural productivity. Given its high susceptibility to climate change impacts, Pakistan needs to prioritize new technologies to manage its overall agricultural sector, including water crisis, food security and economic stability. Promoting climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) provides one viable solution to this problem.
What is climate-resilient agriculture?
Climate-resilient agriculture uses a range of biotechnology and complementary technologies to guide farming practices and reduce dependence on chemical inputs, while maintaining or improving productivity. These tools include biofertilizers and biopesticides and soil-microbiome analyses. Genome-edited crops can be developed to withstand drought, heat, salinity or pest pressures. In parallel, AI-driven analytics can integrate multiple environmental and agronomic variables to generate locally tailored farming strategies.
Goals
At its heart, CRA has three main goals, often referred to as the triple wins:
a. Sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes: This means growing more and better quality food to support a growing population and improve the livelihoods of farmers, without depleting natural resources.
b. Adapting and building resilience to climate change: This involves making farms and food systems better prepared for climate shocks like droughts, floods and heatwaves. It's about reducing vulnerability and ensuring food security even when the weather is unpredictable.
c. Reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible: Agriculture can contribute to climate change through emissions. CRA aims to reduce these emissions and even explore ways for agriculture to capture carbon from the atmosphere, turning farms into part of the climate solution.
Key Principles
Several core principles underpin CRA. These principles act as a guide for developing and implementing CRA practices. They are not rigid rules, but rather a flexible framework to adapt to diverse farming systems and local contexts.
Improving soil health: Healthy soil is the foundation of resilient agriculture. Practices like no-till farming, cover cropping and composting enhance soil structure, water retention and fertility, making farms more resistant to drought and erosion.
Water management: Efficient water use is critical, especially in a changing climate with increasing water scarcity. Techniques like rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation and drought-tolerant crops help conserve water and improve water productivity.
Diversification: Growing a variety of crops and integrating livestock can reduce risks. Diversification makes farms less vulnerable to pests, diseases and market fluctuations, and can also improve nutritional diversity.
Integrated nutrient management: Optimizing nutrient use through a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers and practices like crop rotation and nitrogen fixation can improve soil fertility and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, which can be environmentally damaging and costly.
Pest and disease management: Adopting integrated pest management strategies, which prioritize natural pest-control methods and minimize the use of harmful pesticides, protects biodiversity and human health while maintaining crop yields.
Agroforestry and landscape management: Integrating trees into farming systems provides multiple benefits, including shade, windbreaks, soil improvement, carbon sequestration and habitat for biodiversity. Managing landscapes in a holistic way can enhance ecosystem services and resilience at a larger scale.
Key Strategies & solutions:
Climate-smart crops & practices: Introduce drought/heat-tolerant seeds, shift from water-intensive crops (sugarcane in dry areas), implement crop rotation and promote soil health.
Water management: Invest in solar-powered irrigation, rainwater harvesting, water recycling and efficient techniques like drip/sprinkler irrigation to combat water scarcity.
Technology integration: Use satellite/drone tech for monitoring, early warnings and precision agriculture; deploy mobile-based alerts for farmers.
Policy & finance: Develop national adaptation plans, offer financial incentives (e.g. for solar pumps), create affordable crop insurance and boost institutional capacity for implementation.
Farmer Support: Train extension workers, establish demonstration farms, provide micro-credit and build local capacity for adaptation.
What should Pakistan do?
Pakistan urgently needs CRA due to increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall and extreme weather, threatening food security; solutions involve promoting drought-resistant crops, smart irrigation (solar pumps, sprinklers), data-driven farming (drones, satellites), better water management, crop insurance and policy shifts towards sustainable practices and supporting vulnerable farmers through initiatives like the National Climate Change Policy and Green Climate Fund projects.
Conclusion
Agriculture is not just an industry; it is the backbone of Pakistan's economy and the key to climate resilience. We already have the knowledge and expertise to build climate-resilient agriculture. The challenge is no longer about finding solutions; it's about implementing them at scale and ensuring the right policies and investments to support these efforts. Pakistan has a small window to act before climate change disrupts our food security irreversibly.
The writer is an Assistant Editor of JWT.
Harnessing ICTs for Climate Resilience
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer a transformative approach to addressing the adverse effects of climate change, particularly in Pakistan's agriculture-dependent economy.
A key contribution of ICTs lies in early warning systems. Using satellite data and meteorological inputs, these systems provide accurate weather forecasts that help farmers prepare for floods, droughts, and heat waves. In Pakistan, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) increasingly relies on ICTs to issue timely alerts, while mobile applications allow farmers to access real-time weather updates and crop protection advice.
Digital farming practices further reduce climate risks by improving efficiency. Tools such as drones, satellite imaging and internet-connected sensors allow real-time monitoring of crop health, soil moisture and irrigation systems. ICT-based solutions are particularly critical for water management, as Pakistan's agriculture sector faces severe water wastage and shortages. Smart irrigation systems and sensors help farmers optimize water use and adapt to climate-induced variability.
Despite these benefits, challenges such as limited rural internet access, high technology costs, low digital literacy and weak infrastructure hinder widespread adoption. However, government initiatives and international partnerships are helping address these barriers. Institutions like the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) and the Ministry of Information Technology are actively promoting digital infrastructure and technological support for farmers.
