1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Agricultural Water, Energy, and Hazard Management for Improved Livelihood in the Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan (UIB, Pakistan) {'additional_translations': {}, 'value': 236, 'label': 'Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)', 'text': 'ICIMOD International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) - Nepal', 'template': 'raw'}

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

The water from a contour canal (off-taking from Khunjrab River) was lifted through hydro ram pump to uphill plastic storage and distributed to alley cropping (newly established orchard and vegetable rows) through drip irrigation.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Agriculture, livestock herding and tourism are the major contributors to Gilgit Baltistan economy. The arable land in this region is limited (only 2%) and more than half of which is still barren due to unavailability of irrigation water supplies. The reported dependency of irrigated areas on glacier fed irrigation is more than 90 percent, which now have been fluctuating due to changing climate. This region has been experiencing drastic changes in climate which resulting into lowering of glacier and water related disasters leading towards discontinuity of irrigation water supplies. The electrical power energy options are limited as well as unreliable and in situ replacements are very expensive.

The technological package was applied in arid climate at an elevation ranging from 2340m to 4877 m above sea level. Khyber is located at 36.56o N latitude and 74.79o E longitude. The area receives 150-200 mm annual rain-fall. The population of Khyber village is 1200 residing in 150 houses. Almost 46 percent of population is salaried, 20 percent own business and roughly 19 percent engaged with farming to earn bread and butter for families. The average landholding per household is 3.8 acres out of which 1.25 acre is cultivable waste due to insufficient water supplies and local labor.

To address the above issues, the Indus Basin Initiative (IBI) of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) through its a consortium of local partners including Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Mountain Agriculture Research Centre (MARC) and WWF-Pakistan has been demonstrating the alternative agricultural water management package of practices in lifting water for irrigation using Hydro ram pump. This study also presents the findings based on the experiment/demonstration and testing conducted in the pilot. The pilot site is located in Khyber village of Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan.

The pumping unit comprises a hydro ram pump (which is a zero carbon emission technology and needs no electricty to run, and it is locally customized having 1 inch/25mm out-take pipe) to lift water from a contour channel originating from the Khunjrab River and to carry the water to storage tanks (4000 liters) made up of plastic that has been placed upslope at 175 feet (53,3 m) vertical height from the river. The water from the storage tanks was supplied to alley cropping (apple sapling rows and vegetables rows) through pressure compensating drip irrigation system. The pumping capacity of the pump is 10.2 liters/minute, which is irrigating around 350 apple plants and vegetable rows at 2.5 acre (1ha). The storage tank was kept 45 feet (13,5 m) vertical height from the orchard field. Plan to plant distance and row to row distance of apple was maintained at 15 feet (4,6 m) and 20 (6 m) feet respectively. Drip irrigation system was established for each apple plant, as well as vegetables rows. Pits were constructed for planting apples and later they served also as water harvesting pits /check basins. Gilgit Baltistan chapter of WWF-Pakistan mobilized the local community, while PCRWR and MARC provided technical support to the Khyber Community in establishment of this pilot site. The community youth provided voluntary support during the land preparation, plantation and installation of hydro ram pump as well as drip irrigation system and the uphill storage tanks.

The cost of a complete package including hydro ram pump with accessories, storage tanks, intake and distribution systems, drip irrigation, apple plants and operational expenses for the site was US$ 25, 865 for 2.5 acre (1ha) of land. Women Organization of Khyber village takes care of the maintenance of technological package (fortnightly desilting of drip irrigation and storage tanks and annual repair of hydraulic ram pump). The fruit production has not yet started as it is a newly established farming site. However, seasonal vegetable farming has just started. The produce is small as soil fertility is still building up. Currently, the grown vegetables are being sold or used in the village at household level. However, with higher yield in future, the total income from the farm produce (currenty vegetables only) would be divided equally among the participating 150 households of Khyber Village. A comprehensive cost benefit analysis study has been conducted. It has been envisioned that apple orchard would mature in 4 to 5 years in cold climate of Gojal. By the 6th year, the farm would produce enough to the reach break-event point. The vegetable production has started now and the envisioned annual income is 15,000 PKR (almost 111 USD, if 1 USD=135 PKR).

The community welcomed the new technology and is now planning to outscale it in other areas to bring more land under cultivation. The women organization in the pilot site are positive about the less labourous agricultural activities and foresee to extend the alley cropping under drip irrigation to the rest of 7.5 acres, too. This technology is being dessiminated to different stakeholders including practitioners, policy and decision makers, academia, researchers and local farming communities. For this purpose, exposure field visits and farmers' field days have been arranged by the implementation partners.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

2018

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• less than 10 years ago (recently)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

The Indus Basin Initiative of ICIMOD, with support of Government of Australia under Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio (SDIP), has been developing capacity (resilience to climate change) of vulnerable communities of Gilgit Baltistan through pioneer introduction of contextually new innovative technologies.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
• create beneficial economic impact
• create beneficial social impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

• Yes (Please fill out the questions below with regard to the land use before implementation of the Technology)

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• full irrigation

Comments:

River water is being lifted throuh hydro ram pump, stored in elevated storage tanks and distributed through drip irrigation

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• irrigation management (incl. water supply, drainage)
• surface water management (spring, river, lakes, sea)
• energy efficiency technologies

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Damage and dysfunction of irrigation canal, due to water related disasters.

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

Comments:

Due to water access cultivation of before barren land was possible and vegetation cover improved.

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology unit

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

• USD

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Site identification in consultation with the communities	March 2017
2.	Detailed feasibility surveys of the site	May 2017
3.	Implementation agreement with the community	January 2018
4.	Installation of hydro ram pump	June 2018
5.	Installation of storage (plastic tank) with a line filter attached to it for the operation of the drip system and avoid sediment entry into the tank	June 2018
6.	Digging of pits for plantation of the apple orchard	June 2018
7.	Laying of drip irrigation systems	June 2018
8.	Plantation of tubed apple (Kala Kolu variety) it is bought from the local nursery	June 2018
9.	Training to selected farmers as caretakers of the technologies for its days to day repair and maintenance	August 2018

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Plumbing and technical workers	1	1.0	775.0	775.0	33.0
Labour	Installation charges	1	1.0	968.0	968.0
Equipment	Ram Pump & Accessories	1	1.0	8526.0	8526.0
Equipment	Drip Irrigation	1	1.0	5813.0	5813.0
Equipment	Off-seasonal vegetable tunnel	1	1.0	4715.0	4715.0
Plant material	Apple tree saplings (lumb sum)	1	1.0	3165.0	3165.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Compost (250 kg)	1	250.0	0.12	30.0	100.0
Other	Feasibility study	1	1.0	1873.0	1873.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					25865.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					25865.0

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

ICIMOD through fundings from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio

Comments:

The USD to PKR exchange rate while time of budget transfer was 1 USD=104.50 PKR

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Repair of hydro ram pump	twice an year
2.	Desiltation of plastic tanks	twice an year
3.	Desiltation of drip irrigation system	once an year
4.	Repair & maintenance of drip irrigation system	once in 2 years

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Repair of hydro ram pump	1	2.0	3.75	7.5	100.0
Labour	Desiltation of plastic tanks	1	2.0	7.5	15.0	100.0
Labour	Desiltation of drip irrigation system	1	1.0	37.0	37.0	100.0
Labour	Repair & maintenance of drip irrigation system	1	0.5	37.0	18.5	100.0
Equipment	Repair of hydro ram pump	1	2.0	10.0	20.0	100.0
Equipment	Repair & maintenance of drip irrigation system	1	0.5	100.0	50.0	100.0
Plant material	Vegetable seeds	1	1.0	15.0	15.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Diammonium phosphate (DAP)	1	2.0	30.0	60.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Compost (250 kg)	1	1.0	22.0	22.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					245.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					245.0

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Since the most of the material (drip irrigation etc) is imported thus cost varies with foreign currency exchange rates. Moreover, the costs are also higher in Gilgit Baltistan comparing to plains of Pakistan owning to expensive transportation.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

Yes

Regularity:

frequently

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

Water is available in the river but fields are higher up than river

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

This pilot site has been handed over to women organization of Khyber village, so women are managing all agricultural activities at this site.

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• communal/ village
• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• communal (organized)
• individual

Water use rights:

• individual

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

Comments:

Most of the uncultivated land is communal, community decides uses of the land

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Water availability and quality

Income and costs

Other socio-economic impacts

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Soil

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local snowstorm	well
local windstorm	well

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
cold wave	well
extreme winter conditions	well

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
general (river) flood	well
flash flood	well
landslide	not well

Other climate-related consequences

Other climate-related consequences

	How does the Technology cope with it?
extended growing period	well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Comments:

A comprehensive cost benefit analysis study has been conducted. It has been envisioned that apple orchard would mature in 4 to 5 years in cold climate of Gojal. By the 6th year, the farm would enough produce the reach break-event point. The vegetable production has started now and the envisioned annual income is 15,000 PKR (almost 111 USD,, if 1 USD=135 PKR).

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 1-10%

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 0-10%

Comments:

ICIMOD and its consortium of partners piloted the technology in this region at one village only in District Hunza, which was further out-scaled by WWF under UNDP project to six other districts (one site per district) and now federal government has awarded a project to Government of Gilgit Baltistan (National Programme for Enhancing Command Area of Small and Mini Dams in Barani Areas of Pakistan, Gilgit Baltistan Component) to upscale the piloted technology to all districts (atleast 5 sites per districts) which means 50 hydro ram pump cum drip irrigation models. This project will cost 2.6 million USD.

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
The hydro ram pump assisted river water lifting integrated with drip irrigation is the first of its kind in the upper Indus basin. The system is simple and anyone once trained can operate it. It will contribute to nearly 40% of the additional income of the Khyber Village
The technological package is environmentally friendly and are effective adaptation measures in the context of climate change.
Women are involved in agricultural activities and this intervention has provided them relief. Women are now generating seasonal income from growing seasonal and off-seasonal vegetables.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
The first innovative technological package in Gilgit Baltistan that is climate-resilient as compare to traditional practices.
Water application through drip irrigation is very efficient as compared to flood irrigation.
The technological package can last more than 20 years. Maintenance cost is nominal.
As women are predominantly responsible for farming activities, improved water access and application through drip reduces their work-load and frees up time for other activities

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Drip irrigation and parts of solar panel may not be available locally.	A spare parts should be made available locally for immediate replacement as and when required.
The investment cost is high.	Explain cost-benefit analysis to aware farmers that the benefit is high in the long run.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Collaboration Strengthens Climate Resiliency of Upper Gojal Gilgit Mountain Villages in The Upper Indus Basin, CIMOD, 2017

Available from where? Costs?

https://www.icimod.org/collaboration-strengthens-climate-resiliency-of-upper-gojal-gilgit-mountain-villages-in-the-upper-indus-basin/

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Zero-carbon water pumps turn Pak barren mountains green, Syed Abu Bakar, 2020

URL:

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/636825-zero-carbon-water-pumps-turn-pak-barren-mountains-green

7.4 General comments

The questionannaire is very comprehensive.