By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Experts on Wednesday called for comprehensive reforms in agricultural subsidies and coordinated policymaking across water, agriculture, commerce and finance sectors to address groundwater depletion, improve food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Speaking during a panel discussion titled From Scarcity to Security:Pathways of Water smart global food system on the third day the sixth Pakistan Water Week 2026, a five-day international conference, the experts highlighted the need to align agricultural incentives with water availability, nutritional requirements and environmental sustainability. Senior Water Policy Expert, National Water Governance Programme, UNDP, and former Punjab Irrigation Minister Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari stressed the need to determine future water availability and align agricultural policies accordingly to guide farmers on suitable crop choices.
He stressed the need for coordinated policymaking across water, agriculture, commerce and finance sectors, saying the government must determine future water availability and align agricultural policies with available water resources to guide farmers on appropriate crop choices. He also emphasised that groundwater extraction must also be linked with government policies.
Dr. Claudia Ringler, Director, Agrifood Innovation & Resilience – IFPRI called for integrated water, agriculture, nutrition and gender policies, saying coordinated interventions were essential to address malnutrition, improve household food security and ensure sustainable development. She said the agriculture sector could contribute significantly to improving nutritional outcomes. She said improving nutrition required access to diverse and adequate diets at affordable prices, adding that reforming agricultural subsidies and reducing excessive sugar consumption could help promote healthier food choices.
Highlighting the importance of safe water and sanitation, Ringler expressed concern over deteriorating groundwater quality and its implications for irrigation, drinking water and household food preparation, particularly for infants and young children. She also underscored women’s empowerment and female secondary education as critical investments for improving household nutrition and health outcomes.
Meanwhile, Dr Inayat Ullah, Chief of Research at Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), called for linking government subsidies on solar-powered agricultural pumps with water conservation measures, saying incentive-based reforms could help curb groundwater depletion without imposing additional financial burdens on farmers.
He proposed registering and metering agricultural pumps, regulating their capacity according to farm size and aquifer conditions, and introducing incentives for farmers to sell surplus electricity to the national grid wherever infrastructure was available.
Other panellists included Neil Lazarow, Research Program Manager for Water at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and Johan Gely, Asia Director for Research Impact at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), who also shared their views during the discussion. The five-day event, being held in Islamabad from Nov 2 to 6, focuses on turning commitments into action to strengthen water security and climate-resilient food systems.
