Adapting to Salinity in the southern Indus Basin

Australia and Pakistan both face the challenge of developing agriculture in water-scarce and salinity-affected landscapes. In the Indus Basin, salinity can occur naturally or due to human activities such as irrigation, leading to waterlogging.

This project aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the primary drivers of soil and groundwater salinity in agricultural systems in the southern Indus Basin and propose management and policy strategies to encourage the development of salinity- and drought-resistant cropping systems. It draws on Australia’s expertise and represents the first phase of a decade-long partnership between Australia and Pakistan.

The project will explore how best to develop Pakistan’s adaptive capacity in salinity-affected landscapes. However, this requires an increased understanding of the causes of, and solutions to, secondary salinization across the southern Indus Basin.

Therefore, the project will shed more light on the range of landscapes affected by salinity across the Indus Basin, including the impact of seawater intrusion on agricultural lands. This information will aid in improved management and use of marginal quality groundwater for irrigated agriculture and salt-tolerant crops. It will also be of great value in developing a technical and policy framework for managing salinity-affected soils in the Indus Basin. This will, in turn, help to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the region.