Pakistan has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in water management with the installation of its first Eddy Covariance (EC) Flux Towers at Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology (KFUEIT) in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab. Spearheaded by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), this initiative is part of the Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan (WRAP) project by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the CGIAR’s Nexus Gains Projects.
These advanced towers are designed to monitor water usage, carbon emissions, and energy fluxes from irrigated agricultural systems. They aim to address Pakistan’s pressing water challenges by providing real-time, precise data on evapotranspiration and crop emissions.
At the inauguration, KFUEIT Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Amir Azam Khan highlighted the importance of this technology for improving water management and bolstering resilience against climate change. Dr. Mohsin Hafeez, IWMI’s Director of Water, Food, and Ecosystems, elaborated on how the collected data will help promote sustainable agriculture while shaping policies to tackle water scarcity and climate adaptation.
The EC Flux Towers are equipped with state-of-the-art sensors that track the exchange of water, carbon dioxide, and energy between crops and the atmosphere. This data will be invaluable for optimizing water usage in agriculture, improving crop yields, and enhancing sustainability.
This initiative not only introduces cutting-edge technology to Pakistan but also strengthens its capacity for climate-smart agriculture and sustainable water resource management. By leveraging this innovation, stakeholders can make data-driven decisions, ensuring that agricultural practices align with the country’s water conservation goals.
