Salinisation in Pakistan: Effects (CS)

Question 1

Environmental impacts:

Answer 1

• 25million of 37 million acres is salinised or waterlogged
• +100 hectares lost to salinisation a day
• 1992 Sindh irrigation land was saline over 80%
• 30-60% farmland is affected
• 120 million tonnes of salt is added to Pakistani soil every year

Question 2

People and economy impacts:

Answer 2

• Economy of Pakistan is extremely dependent on agriculture (70% of national wealth)
• Rice and wheat provide subsistence while sugar and cotton provide revenue from foreign exports
• increasing salinity means that crop yields decline as do the diversity of crops
• Famine is a real threat with a population growing 4m every year
• By 2005 £1.5billion was spent on controlling salinisation by Pakistani government
• 43% of annual spending is on a water supply system