PARC || WRRI

Pakistan has a total geographical area of 79.61 mha out of which 35.14 mha are culturable. Of the total culturable land, only 53.9% is irrigated while the rest is rainfed (3.24 mha), culturable waste (9.08 mha) and under forest (4.01 mha). The annual rainfall varies from less than 100 mm in south/south-west (Sindh, Southern Punjab and most of Balochistan) while it steadily increases towards north and reaches to nearly 1200 mm in Himalayan Piedmont region.

Barani areas are broadly classified on the basis of annual rainfall as: a) high rainfall zone, b) medium rainfall zone, and c) low rainfall zone.

High Rainfall Zone
The high rainfall zone with annual rainfall above 750 mm lies in the northern hilly tract which serves as watershed with little use for agricultural production. However, this water could be stored in large reservoirs to be used for irrigation purpose and recharge of groundwater.
Medium Rainfall Zone
In medium rainfall zone with annual rainfall ranging 450-750 mm, only winter wheat can regularly and economically be grown under improved soil moisture conservation techniques.
Low Rainfall Zone
In low rainfall zone with annual rainfall below 450 mm, the crop production is negligible and the agricultural use of land is generally limited to grazing.

In the past, all-out efforts have been focused on improving the agricultural production of irrigated areas and very little attention has been paid to exploit the potential of Barani lands. In order to feed the increasing population of the country, ways and means must be devised to conserve and manage soil and water resources of "Barani" areas for improving agricultural production.

Keeping in view the important once of barani lands for increasing agricultural production in the country, a research programme entitled "Soil and Water Conservation" was initiated in 1980 under the Water Resources Directorate of PARC, Islamabad. Later it was redisignated as Water Harvesting and Conservation and became part of Water Resources Research Institute.

Rainfall-Run-off Relationship Through the use of improved land forming and planting techniques coupled with vegetative cover (Ipil.Ipil), the run-off was reduced upto a maximum of 95% compared to pre-intervention state.
Rain Water Conservation and Utilization With the adaptation of improved water conservation techniques (land-forming, deep tillage and surface mulching), the cropping intensity increased from 100% to 200% with 2-3 times increase in crop yields.
Vegetative Cover Land protection from grazing coupled with water conservation measures (eye-brow terraces, check dams and afforestation) not only enhanced the vegetative cover from 13% to 65% of the land but also produced 3 times more forage than un-protected area.
Demonstration of Land and Water Use Model An integrated land and water use model was developed for gullied land at Fatehjang where crops, fruit/forest plants and forages are economically grown under improved moisture conservation techniques (back-slope terraces, low-cost conservation structures, water harvesting and storage). The model increased the land use from 25 to 90% in dissected gullied area.

Scientists Involved
1- Mr. Zaheer-ul-Ikram SE
2- Mr. Muhammad Aslam, SE
3- Mr. Abdul Ghafoor Mangrio, SSO
4- Mr. Matiullah, SSO

Mr. Zaheer-ul-Ikram, SE/PL	zaheercomrade@hotmail.com
WRRI, NARC, Park Road, Islamabad. Ph. No. 051-9255395, 051-9255012/Ext 3103