Okara, Punjab, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, officially inaugurated a state-of-the-art Eddy Covariance Flux Tower as part of the UK’s Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan programme, led by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in partnership with the International Water Management Institute The tower measures in real time how land interacts with the atmosphere tracking water vapor, energy flow, methane, and carbon exchanges. This technology adds a high-precision tool to the toolkit of climate-smart agriculture in Pakistan.
How Real-Time Soil Moisture Sensors Help Farmers Save Water and Money
Along with the flux tower, the project also introduced soil moisture sensors in Okara fields. These sensors tell farmers exactly when and how much to irrigate, avoiding wasteful overwatering and reducing electricity bills tied to pumping water.
Farmers in the region have already reported noticeable drops in input costs and improved crop yields. Using these sensors helps match water supply with actual soil needs, which is especially important in Pakistan, where agriculture is water-intensive and frequent droughts or irregular rainfall patterns threaten rural livelihoods.
From Reactive Responses to Long-Term Science-Based Farming Policy
With recent flooding causing damage across large parts of Pakistan, authorities have been forced into reactive crisis management. But this Okara initiative signifies a shift toward long-term, evidence-based planning. Dr. Mohsin Hafeez of IWMI emphasized that combining flux tower data with satellite imagery and other sources will allow better forecasting of water needs, timing of planting, and understanding of greenhouse gas emissions.
Rather than waiting for disaster to strike, this project helps establish early warning systems and resilience in farming communities.
One benefit of the flux tower goes beyond individual farms. It contributes to more accurate national estimates of emissions especially methane, carbon dioxide and water vapor coming from agricultural land. These figures feed into the Ministry of Climate Change’s reporting under international frameworks. Having solid, local, real-time data strengthens Pakistan’s credibility when it commits to climate goals or applies for international climate finance.
Enhancing Farmer Resilience During Floods and Climate Stress in Punjab
Punjab, including Okara, faces growing climate stress: unpredictable rainfall, extreme heat, and repeated floods. For small farmers especially, these shocks can ruin crops, raise costs, and disrupt livelihoods. The tower and soil sensors give these farmers a way to manage risk: knowing when to irrigate, when to hold back, when to expect stress.
While the Okara project shows promise, scaling it to other parts of Pakistan will require sustained investment, training, and infrastructure. Many farmers in more remote or economically weaker areas lack access to reliable electricity, quality sensors, or even trustworthy communication channels. The cost of technology, maintenance, and support also matters.
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