Living with Drought: Coping Strategies in Balochistan

1
Living with Drought Coping Strategies in
Balochistan Sindh Provinces of Pakistan

• Mujeeb Akhtar and Asad Qureshi

2
Drought in Pakistan

• The persistent drought occurred in Pakistan
  during 1997-2001 and severity was much higher in
  Balochistan and Sindh provinces.
• Drought has severely affected crop production and
  livestock with serious consequences for the food
  security and livelihood for a large segment of
  population.

3
Reasons of Drought
Average rainfall
4
Impact of Recent Drought in Pakistan

• This drought caused a loss of Pak.Rs. 71.50
  billion in agricultural and livestock sector in
  the year 1999-00 in Pakistan.
• About 2.21 million people and 23.51 million
  livestock population affected due to severe
  drought conditions only during 1999-2000.
• Sindh has to face Pak. Rs. 33 billion losses due
  to drought and water shortage.
• The loss of livestock to drought was about 40 in
  Balochistan and 60 in Sindh.

5
Vulnerability of Drought

• The agriculture sector (crops, vegetable,
  orchards) was the most vulnerable to drought
  conditions. Severe impact of drought was found on
  fodder crop and orchards.
• Due to persistent drought conditions during the
  period 1997-2001, the people are depending more
  on mixed occupations.
• Men are the most vulnerable to drought in rainfed
  and irrigated areas. Being head of family, he has
  the responsibility of all socio-economic and
  financial matters. In case of his unemployment,
  whole family is affected.

6
Drought Study in Pakistan

• The main objective of this study was to document
• Farmers perceptions about drought
• Level of knowledge about drought phenomenon
• Impacts of drought on their socio-economic
  conditions
• Coping strategies adopted by farmers
• Role of NGOs and government organizations in
  providing relief measures and mitigating drought.
• The study was carried out in Sindh and
  Balochistan provinces.

7
Physiography and Social Profile of Sindh

• Sindh is the third largest province of Pakistan
  (with an area 18 of total Pakistan)
• Population of the province is 32 million (23 of
  the country total). About half is living in rural
  areas.
• Total area is 14 million ha.
• Cultivated area is 5.6 million ha. About 65 of
  this area is irrigated and rest 35 is rainfed.

8
Physiography and Social Profile in Balochistan

• Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan
  (with an area 44 of total Pakistan).
• Population of the province is 6.6 million (5 of
  the country total). About 85 is living in rural
  areas.
• Total area is 34.7 million ha.
• Cultivated area is 2.12 million ha. About half of
  this area is irrigated and rest half is rainfed.

9
Methodology for Field Investigation

• Three different Questionnaires
• Village level, Household Level and for
  Govt./NGOs
• From each province, two severely drought-hit
  districts, one from rainfed and another from an
  irrigated area, were selected.
• Ten villages were surveyed from each district and
  15 respondents were interviewed from each sample
  village.
• All NGOs and government departments working for
  drought relief and mitigation were interviewed.

10
Study Locations Sample villages from Sindh and
Balochistan provinces
11
Average Family Size of Household
12
Occupation of Household Respondents
13
Animal Ownership of Households
14
Results General Perception on Drought

• Rainfed Areas
• Common believe is that they are in drought
  condition if there is no rainfall for more than
  one year.
• Irrigated Areas
• Farmers mainly depend on canal and groundwater
  for irrigation. Therefore the shortage of water
  for agriculture and fodder for animals are
  considered as important indicators for drought in
  irrigated areas.

15
Frequency of Droughts

• Respondents in rainfed areas indicated that
  drought is not over yet. People consider drought
  as a more frequent phenomenon, which repeat
  usually after every 2-3 years.
• In irrigated areas, respondents think that the
  situation of drought has improved marginally due
  to recent rainfall and the improved canal water
  supplies. The frequency of drought is reported to
  be 5-10 years.

16
Impact of Drought on Personal Security

• Reduction in household Incomes.
• Migration to irrigated areas for additional
  income sources.
• More than 9 people of both provinces migrated
  from rainfed areas to irrigated areas to find
  alternate off-farm income generation activities
  to supplement their household income.
• Increased burden on women for household income
  generation in addition to fetching water and food
  from far distances.

17
Impact of Drought on Agriculture in Sindh
18
Impact of Drought on Agriculture in Balochistan
19
Impact of Drought on Livestock in Sindh
20
Impact of Drought on Livestock in Balochistan
21
Coping Strategies at Households Level in Rainfed
Areas

• Seasonal human and livestock migration to
  irrigated areas in search of food and water.
• Slaughtering/Sale of livestock and livestock
  products to earn cash to meet other demands of
  life.
• Selling of trees and other household items.
• High interest rate credits (About 60 respondents
  got credit for their daily living in Sindh
  province _at_ 2.5-10 per month).
• Sale of embroidery work/handicrafts mainly
  produced by women to generate household income.
• Changing diet habits (shifting from 3 times per
  day to 2 times per day)

22
Coping Strategies at Households Level in
Irrigated Areas

• Groundwater development.
• Changes in cropping patterns.
• Sindh Cotton instead of rice, sugarcane
  instead of mango and banana orchards
• Balochistan Apple orchards replaced with
  Pomegranate
• Reduction in cropped area.

23
Relief Measures

• No relief was given to farmers of the irrigated
  areas.
• In rainfed areas, 60 respondents got some relief
  mainly in terms of wheat flour,oil, sugar, tea
  and pulses.
• Some NGOs also installed hand pumps to improve
  supply of drinking water.
• 80 respondents believe that relief efforts were
  only partially successful.
• There were major concerns regarding the amount,
  quantities and unfair distribution of relief
  items.

24
NGOs Relief Measures
25
Concluding Remarks

• Rehabilitation of traditional irrigation systems
  such karezes, should be done on emergency basis.
  Farmers need both technical and financial help.
• Availability of potable drinking water should be
  given priority.
• Infrastructure development and extending small
  credit facilities to drought-affected areas is a
  key for extending relief measures.
• Farmers should be educated to adopt water
  conservation strategies both at household and
  field level.
• Innovative rainwater harvesting techniques to
  store more rainwater should be introduced.
• To strengthen anti-drought efforts, coordination
  between different NGOs and govt. agencies should
  be enhanced.
• Farmers participation in drought relief efforts
  should be increased to address their concerns.

26
Thank you