President Dr Arif Alvi has said that Pakistan needs to employ smarter and less water-intensive practices like drip and spray irrigation in agriculture to avert the looming crisis of water shortage.

In a video-link address to the international conference on ‘Transformative pathways for water and food systems in a climate resilient Pakistan held in Karachi, he said the agriculture sector consumes approximately ninety five percent of the country’s water, which needs immediate planning and reforms on water use efficiency.

The President said the country needs effective management to secure its existing water resources. He emphasized research and technological innovation to promote modern agricultural technologies at grassroots level.

He said there was a need to educate farmers about water conservation, rain-water harvesting, and aquifer technologies.

He said community involvement and implementation of laws could prove helpful in effective water management.