Water Footprint, Blue Water Scarcity, and Economic Water Productivity of Irrigated Crops in Peshawar Basin, Pakistan

Pakistan possesses the fourth largest irrigation network in world, serving 20.2 million hectares of cultivated land. With an increasing irrigated area, is short freshwater resources and faces severe water scarcity food security challenges. This first comprehensive study on footprint (WF) crop production Peshawar Basin. WF defined as volume required to produce goods services. In this study, we assessed blue green footprints (WFs) annual consumption major crops (maize, rice, tobacco, wheat, barley, sugarcane, sugar beet) Basin, Pakistan. The Global Water Footprint Assessment Standard (GWFAS) AquaCrop model were used daily each from 1986 2015. addition, scarcity, context available surface water, economic productivity (EWP) these assessed. 30 year average WFs revealed that maize had highest (7077 2744 m3/ton, respectively) sugarcane lowest (174 45 respectively). by basin was 1.9 billion m3, where 67% for maize, covering 48% cropland. 1.0 68% wheat all exceeded global average. results showed annually supplied with m3 freshwater. Annually, 3 leaves unutilized. 31% total (6 m3) basin. Tobacco beet EWP while lowest. findings can help management authorities formulating a policy efficient utilization