Climate Change moot recommends storing rainwater underground

A national conference on Climate Change has recommended that harvested rain should be used for groundwater recharge through groundwater recharge hotspots using Bhungroo Technology in Sindh.
Also, the moot emphasized upon rainwater harvesting through the construction of small dams in potential areas such as Karoonjhar, Kirthar Mountain range, and Ubhan Shah Hills should be taken on priority.
Titled, Integrating Climate Smart Agriculture, Water, Energy and Food Nexus for Sustainable Development and Food Security under Changing climate, this two-day conference was jointly organized by Dawood University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), Karachi, and Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tando Jam had detailed presentation and debate on every aspect of climate change.
The final recommendations read as under:
Zero tillage technology, mulching, furrow irrigation, and raised bed technology should be propagated and encouraged in irrigated areas of Sindh to achieve the targets of SDGs 1 and 6.
Agriculture should be strengthened and promoted in the untapped /dry areas of Pakistan, especially in the Cholistan, Kachoo, Kohistan, and Thar desert, by introducing Hi-Tech and supper irrigation methods
Rainwater harvesting through the construction of small dams in potential areas such as Karoonjhar, Khirthar Mountainous range, and Ubhan shah hills should be taken on priority.
Smart Agricultural Farms equipped with Precision Agriculture practices, IoT, and drone technology be introduced to enhance the quantity and quality of agricultural production, and Farmers should be supported in the transformation of traditional agriculture into smart agriculture
The role of wetlands should be considered for rainwater harvesting and flood mitigation apart from its role in the ecosystem and environment.
Harvested rain should be used for groundwater recharge through groundwater recharge hotspots using Bhungroo Technology.
Pakistan should promote energy conservation, increase energy efficiency, and on-farm solar, wind, and other renewable energy production as ways to mitigate agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and increase resiliency
Pakistan should promote farm scape that supports resilience to a changing climate and promotes carbon sequestration in woody biomass and soils.
Mangrove plantations along the entire Pakistan coast should be promoted and supported to work as a natural barrier against cyclones, seawater intrusion, storm surges, coastal erosion, etc.
40 years old Agroecological zones should be redefined considering the current climate change scenario
Conjunctive use of canal and drainage water should be supported, and farmers should be trained in the use of blended water for crop production
GIS, Remote Sensing, and Satellite Technology should be used for monitoring, mapping, and early cropped area yield estimations. To cope with the shortage of human resources in GIS & RS, related departments should be opened in HIES
Farmers should be encouraged for organic farming to avoid human health hazards associated with the use of chemicals in agriculture
Efforts should be taken to minimize the Climate Change impacts on Pakistan, especially on Sindh, by promoting forestation, curtailing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, and protecting wetlands and rangelands
Policies for Water and Climate Change should be developed, approved, and adopted with gist and spirit.
Crop water productivity should be enhanced to a level of developed countries through research and the adoption of innovative technologies.
Encroachments within the riverbed should be removed for uninterrupted flow of the Indus during the monsoon period.
Governance issues in the water conveyance and delivery system should be improved so that farmers at the tail end of the system should get their due share of irrigation water.
The drainage plays a vital role to cope with urban and agricultural flooding. Hence, the drainage network in Sindh should be improved by the strengthening of LBOD and RBOD spinal drains as well as associated main and sub-drains.
Integrated Water Resources Management for water governance and management must be adopted at all levels.
The Federal and Provincial Governments should enhance the budget for research focusing on issues related to climate change, water, livestock, and food security.
The Indus delta should be the priority of the government in solving the freshwater availability, seawater intrusion, groundwater contamination, storm surges, cyclones, poverty, soil salinity & waterlogging issues of the delta
Agri. Tourism should be patronaged. For this, model farms should be opened in each district
As an acknowledgment of the importance of the Manchar wetland in Pakistan, it is recommended that it should be declared a “Ramsar site”