Climate-smart agriculture interventions in Gilgit–Baltistan - Issue Brief

Over 90 per cent of the population in Gilgit–Baltistan is primarily dependent on agriculture, and climate change’s impacts are increasingly putting irrigation water supplies at risk. In this ever-changing context, making agricultural water management interventions that are adaptive and resilient to climate change impacts is crucial. The limited amount of cultivable land (due to the complex mountainous terrain) can potentially be utilized for high-value agricultural practices by employing innovative water-lifting technologies. The learnings from energy-efficient interventions such as the introduction of hydraulic ram pumps and solar pumps to supply irrigation water should be incorporated into decision-making processes so that their effectiveness in relevant areas of the country may be tested.