3.7 Case study:
Poverty and Livelihood Project
DI Khan (Pakistan)
Project for Livelihood Improvement

Overall Goal:
Socio-Economic status of
Disadvantaged
communities enhanced.

Objectives:
Coping strategies of poor
communities
strengthened to improve
their livelihood with
special reference to
women..
Two extreme conditions of the area
Condition when
there is no rain/
flood water.
Area becomes inaccessible
and difficult to get out even
in case of emergency
Condition when
there is rain/ flood
water
Issues of Rodh Kohi area

Seasonal
Droughts. (12
droughts in last 50
years)

Low and erratic
rainfall. (135mm to
250mm)
Continued……….

Soil erosion due to
high intensity of
flood.

High maintenance
cost of the flood
irrigation system
(Earthen Bund).
Continued…….

Unavailability of
drinking water for
human & livestock.

Under ground water
is saline

Rules (Kuliyat &
Riwajat-e- Abapashi)
are not followed.
Water management issues
•
Distribution
and control
system of
flood water.
•
Depth of
water
application/
No. of
irrigation/
season.
Continued……
•
Uneven land
leveling status.
•
High sediments in
flood irrigation
channels (Rodh).
Potential to address water issues.
A.
Efficient use of water
for crop production and
drinking purpose
(Improvement in
conveyance system).
B.
Strengthening of water
users association for
equitable distribution.
C.
Introduction of dry land
farming technologies
(incl. rain water
harvesting etc) that
improve production.
Project interventions

Water Ponds
Rehabilitation
for Human &
Livestock
drinking
purposes.

Introduction of
low cost sand
filter at house
hold level.
Improvement in distribution and control
of flood water

Improvement in water
convenience system in
collaboration with
spate irrigation system
project. (Diversion
structure)

Improvement in control
of water at field in
collaboration with
spate irrigation system
project. (field inlet)
Continued……..

Rain Water
Harvesting for
trees/ crops
production
through artificial
slopes.

Homestead
vegetable
production and
plantation
through Pitcher
irrigation
techniques.
Project other interventions
 Conducted a Study to review the Social
aspect of the Rodh Kohi Irrigation system
 Conducted a study to evaluate water
status in the system
 Study in progress to determine
appropriate depth of water applied during
the flood
 Testing the ponds storage capacity in
relation to population and time
Objectives Technical study
 To determine discharges of perennial
and flood water of the selected Zam
and Rodhs during flood season (JulySeptember, 2004).
 To find the depth of irrigation water
applied to each selected fields.
 To determine the depth of deposited
sediment in the selected fields.
Study Area
Chaudh
wan Zam
Velehr
i
Daraban
Zam
Gud
Gud
Lohra
Terkho
ba
Conclusions
 Flood water availability decreases from
upstream to down stream in both Zam,
farmers at downstream gets water twice out
of ten years.
 About 84% of the respondents mentioned
that the amount of flood water availability
has decreased during the past ten years.
 In project area 67 percent of the total
respondents received Rodh-Kohi water last
year(2003), while that year(2004) 79% got
flood water.
 Due to limited water supply the cropping intensity is
very low (single crop).
 The yield of crops at downstream of the Rodh is
relatively low as compared to the upstream due to
limited water availability.
 For perennial (Kala Pani) stream water
management the organization set up is strong as
compared to flood water management.
 In general there exists an informal Water User’s
Association for management of flood water but has
weaken with time especially at the downstream of
the Rodh due to unreliable flood water availability
 Average depth of flood water applied by
farmers ranges from 40 to 80 cm, due to
large and unleveled fields the depth of
water is relatively more than required.
 Average depth of deposited sediment in
the field ranges from about 2 to 3.5 cm
per flood.
 Infiltration rate of water in fields ranges
from 0.2 to 1.2 mm /hr, which is relatively
low and water stands in the fields for
longer period and significant amount of
water lost in evaporates.
 About two-third of the respondents reported
that water distribution laws are followed.
 Most of the respondents mentioned that the
Rodh-Kohi system should be improved by
improving the conveyance system.
 Sixty-one percent of total respondents
replied that they attend regular WUAs
meetings which shows that people in this
part of project area are more keen to involve
themselves in the system improvement and
important decision-making regarding efficient
use of water.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Mobilizations and Capacity Building of
Communities for Management of irrigation
system should be encouraged.
 Integrated approach for the identification,
planning, and implementation of
interventions should be explored bu
involving different stakeholders.
 Water harvesting through catchments
improvements, ponds and other structures
at cost effective way for solving drinking
water problems in Rodh Kohi area should
be explored.
 Community participation, mobilization and their capacity
building should be ensured for equitable water
distribution.
 Old ponds at tail of Rodhs should be rehabilitated and their
capacity should be enhanced for steady water supply.
 Communities should be mobilized and organized first at
village then to gundi / sod level and later should be
extended to Rodh as well as Zam level for overall
equitable water distribution.
 For increasing crops yield and moisture conservation
some agronomic interventions like deep tillage, improved
seed etc be tested through farmer centered approaches.
Lessons learnt

People centered &
demand driven
approaches work
successfully.

Poor Peoples are
a potential to work
with, not a
problem.
Prepared by Munawar Khattak
PLI South