KARACHI: Highlighting concerns over the Cholistan canals project, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) has warned that upstream diversions will accelerate saltwater intrusion in the delta, rendering fertile land barren and displacing small-scale farmers and fishing communities.

Part of the Green Pakistan Initiative, the Cholistan canals project aims to irrigate a total of 4.8million acres (1.9 million hectares) of barren land by constructing six canals — two each in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab. Five of these canals will be built on the Indus River, while the sixth will constructed along the Sutlej River, supplying approximately 4,120 cusecs of water to irrigate the Cholistan desert in Punjab.

The WWF-P has called for the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to review the project and conduct thorough socio-environmental imp­act assessments of all large-scale irrigation projects prior to their launch.

“Pakistan is at a critical juncture, facing water stress, climate change and food insecurity that threaten its agriculture-driven economy. As a response, the country must adopt a strategic and science-based approach to water and land management,” said WWF-P Director General Hammad Naqi Khan, stressing the need to revamp Pakistan’s agriculture and water governance to improve resource efficiency and prevent water distribution conflicts.

WWF-Pakistan warns upstream diversions will accelerate saltwater intrusion, damage fragile Indus delta ecosystem

The organisation, he said, advocates resolving the issues within existing systems rather than focussing on costly infrastructure ventures.

“We urge a shift from traditional irrigation methods toward nature-based solutions, climate-resilient practices, innovative water management and sustainable land-use strategies. We also recommend exploring climate-smart, water-efficient alternatives to traditional canal systems and conducting a comparative feasibility analysis of cost-effective solutions.”

The organisation emphasized that national consensus should be achieved considering the inter-provincial nature of water distribution and the legal, technical and socio-economic complexities of the project.

“WWF-Pakistan is a member of the Pakistan Climate Change Council and Punjab Water Commission, and this project, given its scale and nature, should have been brought to these forums. We recommend strengthening regulatory and policy oversight. Projects of this magnitude, such as the Cholistan Canals Project, must be reviewed and approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI),” the organisation stated in a press release issued on Wednesday.

Call for a national water policy

“While the proposed project aims to introduce corporate farming in desert regions, several critical areas require attention, including the implications of depleting water resources in already fertile regions. As upstream diversions increase, the Indus Delta will suffer, accelerating seawater intrusion and damaging a fragile ecosystem,” the organisation stated.

It further said that the ongoing debate over the project is a resource-driven conflict, reemphasising the urgent need for the implementation of a national water policy based on equity and sustainability, along with investment in conservation and efficiency measures.

“Increasing soil salinity will render fertile land barren, displacing small-scale farmers and fishing communities. Furthermore, this will lead to the loss of mangrove cover, which serves as a natural coastal defense and breeding ground for marine life. The resulting acceleration in coastal erosion will increase the vulnerability of communities to storms, cyclones, and other natural disasters,” it warned.

Moreover, it pointed out that glacial melt and monsoons, which supply water to the Indus, are becoming increasingly unreliable. Therefore, considering climate change and drought conditions, the project’s sustainability plan must be reassessed, particularly given its reliance on unpredictable flood flows.

“We believe it is crucial to conduct comprehensive socio-environmental impact studies, along with technical feasibility studies involving relevant experts, before launching large-scale projects.”

“These studies should address several key aspects, including topography and soil suitability for sustainable agriculture, long-term impacts on groundwater levels, recharge rates and ecosystems, as well as the effects on local communities. Additionally, the comparative feasibility of alternative solutions and an assessment of climate resilience and adaptability must be considered,” it concluded.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025