By Ayesha Saba ISLAMABAD, Feb 02 (INP-WealthPK): The efficient use of water is becoming increasingly critical in South Asia, where massive public-funded irrigation systems consume more than 90% of surface water supplies, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain amid changes in rainfall, glacier melt and snowmelt patterns due to climate change. Pakistan is an agricultural country with an area of 21.4 million hectares under cultivation, of which more than 74% is irrigated. According to the World Bank, agriculture now accounts for nearly one-fifth of Pakistan's gross domestic product (GDP). Pakistan is ranked at 4th position worldwide in terms of the largest irrigated area through canal network. Irrigated agriculture is totally dependent upon fresh water resources for successful cultivation of crops. Unlike most developing countries, where according to latest estimates 70 to 80% of fresh water resources are used for agriculture purposes, Pakistan consumes up to 98% of its fresh water resources. As a result, water resources have depleted to a grave extent over the last 10 years, leaving less water for food production. In recent years, application of modern irrigation systems has taken great traction, especially in developing countries. The drip technology has helped both save water and improve yields. Modern drip irrigation also known as trickle irrigation which involves dripping water onto the soil at very low rates (2-20 litres/hour) has arguably become the world's most valued innovation in agriculture since the invention of the impact sprinkler in the 1930s, which offered the first practical alternative to surface irrigation. This modern technology not only improves water-use efficiency in irrigated areas but also further enhances water and land productivity by enabling transitions to higher-value crops or transforming areas that are not otherwise irrigable (too distant or too high to be reached by surface water). Drip irrigation is adopted extensively in areas of acute water scarcity and especially for crops and trees such as coconuts, containerised landscape trees, grapes, bananas, eggplant, citrus, strawberries, sugarcane, cotton, maize and tomatoes. With the government support, a good number of farmers in Pakistan are using water-saving drip irrigation and sprinklers, which allows them to consume 60% less water. A Rs67-million Punjab government's programme gives small farmers incentives to install sprinklers and drip irrigation systems, some of which are solar-powered. Another subsidy scheme launched in 2019 provided up to 80% of total system costs for installation of high-efficiency (drip/sprinkler) irrigation systems (HIES) on up to 15 acres of land. The Command Area Development of Jalalpur Irrigation Project (CADJIP) focuses on the Khushab and Pind Dadan Khan tehsils of the Jehlum district. The Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (PIPIP 2012-13 to 2020-21) sought to alleviate farmers' water scarcity issues by giving subsidies to promote installation of HIES. This incentive is offered to all farmers of Punjab. PIPIP is currently the leading example of an instrument that has some success in enhancing drip-irrigation technology adoption. The PIPIP, which is being implemented with the support of World Bank, seeks to have new irrigation systems installed on 120,000 acres of farmland. However, there are some barriers marring the adoption of this technique, and the major one is the high initial cost, which ranges between Rs110,000 and Rs120,000 per acre. Given the economic condition of farmers, they cannot be expected to adopt this technique as the government wants. Even though the government offers a 60% to 80% subsidy on purchase of inputs needed to set up the HEIS system, it is still very high for poor farmers. For speedy adoption of this technique, the government can further enhance the subsidy. The federal government can share some of the burden on the subsidy if the provincial government cannot do so. For speedy implementation of the drip-irrigation technique, it is important that farmers get the proper training in installation, operation and maintenance of the system. According to experts, cost-effective and efficient use of drip irrigation systems has enormous potential for Pakistan, especially considering the country's chronic water scarcity. They believe that for having water sustainability, the general public also needs to adopt the water-saving methods.