Impact of Cropping Pattern and Climatic Parameters in Lower Chenab Canal System—Case Study from Punjab Pakistan

In Pakistan, groundwater resources are depleting at an alarming rate due to intensive pumping, shifting of cropping patterns, and climate change vulnerability. The present study is aimed investigating stress in the command area Lower Chenab Canal (LCC) associated branch canals. Groundwater determined by considering surface water availability, levels, climatic variation, crop requirement (CWR) LCC area. data obtained from Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) 1990 2020. records temporal variation patterns Crop Reporting Service (CRS), Directorate Agriculture, Lahore for 1995–2020 period classified according Rabi season (November April) Kharif (May October). flows levels collected Punjab Irrigation (PID) 2003 2018 1995 2016, respectively. CWR estimated using Cropwat 8.0 model Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) tool ArcGIS software. It has been that Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Toba Tek Singh highly cities having average drawdown 0.58 m/year. availability also decreased 7.75 4.81 billion cubic meters (Bm3) whilst 4.17 2.63 Bm3 season. This concluded severe conditions stressed areas, policy planners, decision-makers, stakeholders should sincerely take some steps maintaining either capacity building workshops farmers or limiting number tubewells.