Director General OFWM Message Mr. Muhammad Khurshid Afridi

Water is rapidly becoming the key development issue. The region has one of the highest average population growth rates in the world and scarce natural water supplies. As a result, renewable available water in the region has dropped.

Irrigation is an essential component of sustainable agricultural development but it is not a unique sector, since it faces challenges similar to those confronted by other public and private sector economic activities.

Various demand –side policy measures can help shape decisions that encourage water-use efficiency. However, while appropriate policies and regulations are necessary for improved productivity, a variety of additional water- saving measures are required in the irrigation sector.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the underdeveloped province of Pakistan. It has a very weak industrial and agricultural base to support its economy. These is an obvious limit to intensive agriculture and a deficit of 47% in staple foodstuff is projected by the year 2020.As rainfall in KPK is insufficient and poor distributed through the year, the  need for adequate and regular supply of irrigation water is imperative. It is therefore, high time to plan and implement strategies to make use of the water resources available.