Water scarcity and its impact on agriculture : case study of Layyah, Pakistan

Abstract: The issue of water scarcity and socio-economic impact of water shortage on small scale farmers is a reality in many developing countries including Pakistan. With its high population density, mostly in the rural areas, a majority of the households engage in activities that are geared towards survival for their livelihood activities. Small farmers are poor and can’t afford more advanced agriculture tools to extract water and to conserve water. The tribulations for small farmers are poverty and illiteracy. The study was conducted in Layyah, a southern district of Pakistan to explore small farmer’s perspective on water scarcity. The main objective of this research is to evaluate impact of water shortage on small land holders and their strategies to cope with it. For this purpose, a detailed data set was acquired by making field trips to small villages and arranging extensive interviews with the farmers. A standard questionnaire was prepared to maintain consistency and coherence in the analysis. The study also contains some interviews with active stake holders/authorities involved in this dilemma such as government officials and NGOs. This study is based on in-depth qualitative analysis of 13 households to trace out the socio economic impacts of water scarcity. To understand the agriculture practices and water availability for local farmers, the study themes are Ground water; Rain water and Canal water cultivation. In the last section, a number of conclusions and recommendations are presented based on the analysis of collected data.