Carbon Neutrality, Irrigation Practices and Sustainable Agriculture: Insights from Rice-Wheat Farming in Pakistan

Abstract

Climate change poses significant challenges for agricultural policies concerning the rice-wheat farming system in Pakistan. Given the country's mounting population pressure, the area under cultivation of rice and wheat is shrinking. Because intensive farming practices and excess use of fertilizer only maximize short-term yield, it ultimately compromises long-term soil productivity. The study explores the relationship between surface water management practices in rice and wheat farming systems by assessing the opportunities for enhancing water governance to support small scale farmers. The research study employed the formula for economical water use efficiency to quantify water use efficiency. After that, to ensure the adequacy of the data for time series analysis, the Levin-Lin-Chu unit root test was conducted to assess the stationarity and panel cointegration. Consequently, the study proceeded to model the relationship among the variables using the Autoregressive Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) model. The results identify that integrating organic farming practices into the rice and wheat belt could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve water use efficiency. Modernizing gravity-fed irrigation systems with improved monitoring mechanisms and trained and educated staff can withstand climatic stress and boost water use efficiency by ensuring long-term sustainability in rice and wheat crop zones.