Workshop highlights urgent need for water governance, climate-smart farming in Hyderabad division
JAMSHORO, Sindh
A workshop on “Food Security Paradigms: Water Governance Issues, Climate Smart Farming and Sustainable Agriculture in Hyderabad Division” was held at the Pakistan Study Centre, University of Sindh, Jamshoro on Friday.
The event was organized as part of the ongoing Sindh Research Support Program (SRSP), funded by the Sindh Higher Education Commission (Sindh HEC), Government of Sindh.
The project, spearheaded by Professor Dr. Shuja Ahmed Mahesar as Principal Investigator and Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa as Co-Principal Investigator, aims to address the multifaceted challenges affecting agriculture and food security in the Hyderabad division.
The workshop brought together researchers, academicians, farmers and water governance experts to engage in meaningful dialogue and participatory research.
The session began with a warm welcome and introduction by Research Assistant Sanam Altaf followed by the national anthem and a brief overview of the project.
In his welcome address, Dr. Shuja Ahmed Mahesar outlined the objectives of the research, which included improving understanding of climate-related agricultural challenges, evaluating water governance mechanisms and proposing sustainable practices.
Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa presented the salient features of the research, highlighting its mixed-method approach involving surveys, interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted in five districts: Hyderabad, Dadu, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, and Badin.
A total of 103 questionnaires and 15 in-depth interviews formed the basis of the study, along with FGDs across all districts.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Mehar ul Nissa Rais from the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam.
She emphasized the urgency of adopting climate-smart farming techniques and sustainable water management practices, stressing that water scarcity and erratic climate patterns are the primary drivers of declining agricultural productivity in the region.
Interactive FGDs led by Dr. Channa and his team further explored local stakeholders’ insights into food insecurity, economic disruptions and environmental challenges.
The discussions revealed that over 50% of respondents linked food insecurity to inadequate water governance, while 35% attributed it to economic instability.
Other concerns included lack of access to modern technologies and the impacts of climate stress on crop yields.
Concluding the event, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Hamadullah Kakepoto emphasized the need for collaborative action among policymakers, researchers and farming communities.
Director ORIC Prof. Dr. Farhat Naureen delivered the vote of thanks and underscored the significance of research-based interventions for regional agricultural development.
Certificates were distributed among participants and the event concluded with a lunch gathering, fostering further networking and exchange of ideas.
The workshop not only highlighted the pressing issues faced by smallholder farmers but also served ask a call to action for government and non-governmental stakeholders to develop a farmer-driven, multi-dimensional strategy to ensure food security and sustainable agriculture in the Hyderabad division. (PR)
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Read: Bridging Pakistan’s Water Divide
