- Watch: How ADB is helping Pakistan’s breadbasket Punjab province to climate-proof and modernize vital irrigation infrastructure to boost agriculture and food security.
- The state-of-the-art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system installed at Trimmu and Panjnad barrages in Pakistan enables real-time monitoring of water flows and electronic control of the barrages’ gates.
- The upgraded Trimmu and Panjnad barrages in Pakistan now deliver reliable irrigation water to 1.7 million hectares of farmland, benefiting 600,000 farming families while protecting millions of people from flooding.
ADB is helping Pakistan’s Punjab province to improve water resource management and increase agricultural productivity to enhance food security and build resilience against climate risks. The upgraded Trimmu and Panjnad barrages are now equipped with modern technology and have expanded capacity to regulate the flow of water and protect vast farmlands from flooding. As Asia and the Pacific’s climate bank, ADB will continue to help make agriculture in Pakistan more climate resilient.
Transcript
Much of Pakistan’s agricultural produce is grown in Punjab.
Irrigated agriculture is at the heart of the Punjab economy and sustains the livelihoods of more than half its labor force.
Farmers rely on the Trimmu and Panjnad barrages to regulate the flow of water and protect vast farmlands from flooding.
But these structures are about 90 years old and climate change is affecting the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts.
ADB helped rehabilitate the barrages, expanding their capacity to prevent floods, regulate water flow to crops, and withstand changes in climate.
Mian Javaid
Farmer
Punjab, Pakistan
“Water overflows here during floods, even if the bank is not broken. But we are very hopeful the flood problem will be resolved with the extension of the barrage.”
The barrages now have automatic gates and a real-time data monitoring system.
M. Ahmed
Sub Engineer
SCADA System
Trimmu Barrage
“Before this we had a manually controlled system that required more people to handle. During floods it was very hard for staff to operate. The installed system now is a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which easily allows us to electronically control all the barrage’s bays from the control room.”
The upgraded barrages now deliver reliable irrigation water to 1.7 million hectares of farmland, benefiting 600,000 farming families while protecting millions of people from flooding.
Yong Ye
Country Director for Pakistan
Asian Development Bank
“ADB is helping Punjab province to improve water resource management and increase productivity of irrigated agriculture to ensure food security and to respond to climate change challenges.”
As Asia and the Pacific’s climate bank, ADB will continue to help make agriculture in Pakistan more climate resilient.
