Rains and thunderstorms and dry, barren days

Climate-smart cotton farming in Pakistan

By Zabreen Hasan

Muhammad Ijaz looked miserably out the window at the rainstorm, wondering if any of his cotton crop would survive the downpour. His own two acres, his landlord’s four. But he didn’t think so. This rain had come at absolutely the wrong time, his cotton fields were flooded, and though cotton needed a lot of water at the right times, this was definitely not the moment. This rain would destroy his entire six months’ harvest unless he could somehow drain the water from his cotton fields. 

Ijaz’s family has lived on the same farm in Khanewal, a village of 2,500 inhabitants in the Punjab province, Pakistan, for generations. His father, and his grandfather before him, grew cotton, wheat, some vegetables and even fodder. ‘Those were the good days.’ Ijaz looks sad as he remembers his father and grandfather in happier times.

‘The rain pattern was regular then,’ he says. ‘There were drought years and there were flood years, but generally we knew what time of year the rains were going to come and what times were going to be dry, so we knew what crop to plant when. Then, starting about a decade ago, the climate went crazy. Rain can come at any time, especially in the dry season. Today we can’t look at the sky anymore and predict what kind of weather we’re going to have.’ He sighs. ‘My father and grandfather could. They’d go outside in the morning, look at the sky, sniff the air and announce that rain was not too far off. That really helped us because if we knew that rain was about a week off, we could get extra people and get in the crop before it was destroyed. The neighbors always helped.’ He laughs. ‘Of course, my grandfather even used to say his knees would start hurting when it was going to rain so he knew, but that doesn’t work with me!’

When climate change began rearing its ugly head, the erratic weather patterns caused crop yields to go down. Unusual pest attacks and increasing water shortages occurred frequently due to the fact there was less canal water for irrigation. Farmers became dependent on groundwater, with the water table going down. This led to reduced soil fertility and increased salinity, huge crop losses and smaller profits. A time came when farmers in the village could no longer afford to buy fertilizer or even pay their lease.

Increasingly worried, farmers from the village, as well as from other villages in the surrounding areas, sat together with WWF to see how they could turn the tide.  

In 2019, a ‘climate smart’ agricultural project for smallholders, like ljaz, was set up through a partnership between WWF and IKEA in order to promote agricultural methods and practices that help mitigate climate change. Digital weather stations were established that could send climate information directly to farmers´ smartphones. 

From over a 10km radius, the system notifies farmers that rain is coming. So that Ijaz and others in his situation can do exactly what their ancestors used to do. They can harvest a crop. Or they can predict an upcoming dry period So, for example, Ijaz can water his crops when he knows it’s going to be dry for weeks, and if he knows it will rain soon, he can wait for the rain. This saves a lot of water, and it is extremely important because it helps the farmers plan out their farming in the most resource efficient way. The messages are received weekly through WhatsApp, an application the entire village seems to be familiar with and have access to. Whereas generic weather pattern apps cover broader areas, this technology can predict with more accuracy and speed whether rain is coming to that particular field. Teams on the ground then translate the forecast in the local language (Urdu) so the farmers can make informed decisions.

At first, farmers in the village didn’t want to change the way they farmed cotton. ‘We were used to our traditional ways of doing things, so we didn’t see what all this business with phone messages could do. But a few of us tried it, and it worked!’ 

Ijaz gives me a smile. His whole face seems to light up.

In addition to weather reports, the climate smart system tells him the population of which pests is on the rise, so he can take precautions and adequately spray if needed. This system enables the farmers to use pest specific pesticide, making sure that beneficial insects aren’t killed along with pests. 

Muhammad Ijaz sighs. ‘We had so many pests. Pink bollworms, aphids, thrips, mealybugs… we still have them, but now, thanks to the app, we get to know the right time to use the right pesticide, and use just enough to get rid of them.’ 

Over the years, WWF and IKEA have been working in collaboration to promote sustainable cotton production and the adoption of climate smart practices among rural communities in Pakistan. Setting up weather monitoring systems in the project areas in Khanewal, Sukkur, Bahawalpur and Multan is part of a larger programme that aims to improve the socio-economic and environmental resilience of cotton farming families. Agriculture is considered the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, which relies heavily on its major crops like cotton. Five to ten per cent of the country’s agricultural yield is lost due to erratic weather and climate change which keeps altering weather patterns. Approximately 4,470 farmers are benefitting from these systems currently.

‘It has certainly made a difference in our lives!’ Ijaz says. ‘You see, from the harvests we have to pay our landlords, and after that, we still need to save money for the rest of the year. It pays for our food, our clothes, the doctor, seeds. Now…’ he laughs delightedly. ‘From not being able to pay our tithes, to being able to send our children to school. With better yields and profits I can save money for my daughter’s dowry when she marries. By being climate smart, I’m securing my children´s future, and what man can have better hopes than that?’