Winter drought is destroying crops in Punjab, farmers said on Thursday as rainfall in the region fell by 40 percent.
Pakistan is among the countries most affected by the effects of climate change, which scientists say is making extreme weather events more common and more severe.
gave Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) says that between the beginning of September and the middle of January, Punjab received 42 percent less rain than normal.
“Lack of rains has had a big financial impact on farmers, whether they have large or small holdings,” said Punjab Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Chairman Malik Asghar. AFP.
“Potatoes are a staple crop in my area. This year the average is very low. Normally we can easily get 100 to 120 bags per acre. This winter we got only 60 bags per acre.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the agriculture sector contributes about a quarter of Pakistan’s GDP and employs 37 percent of the national labor force.
But Asghar said many small farmers “have already given up” and are looking for employment elsewhere. “This series of dry weather will have a very negative impact on them,” he said.
According to the PMD, Sindh received 52% less rainfall than the normal level, while Balochistan saw a 45% decrease.
According to the PMD, “mild drought” prevailed in most of Punjab, the whole of Sindh and almost half of Balochistan in January, which predicted a rapid onset of “flash drought” in the coming warmer months.
Ashfaq Ahmad Jat, a wheat farmer, said his crop in Multan had been “badly affected” by the lack of rain. Even five years ago we used to have winter showers for a week at a time. They were light rains but they were enough for us,” said the 45-year-old.
“If it doesn’t rain soon, you can expect a yield drop of up to 50 percent.”
Pakistan normally relies on water from the Indus River, but analysts say a rapidly growing population, climate change and poor resource management, all due to over-reliance on a single aquifer, have led to a decline. are increasing
The drought comes less than three years after record monsoon rains triggered devastating floods that left nearly a third of the country under water.
The country also suffers from suffocating smog in winter, caused by poor vehicle fuel and farmers burning crop residues, with the cold weather causing pollution to spread close to the ground.
Rains usually provide temporary relief by reducing airborne particles, but the dry season has engulfed Punjab in smog with adverse health effects.
