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Optimizing the water-energy-food Nexus for sustainable agriculture in Pakistan: A systems analysis with global implications

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  • Iqbal, Hassan
  • Yaning, Chen
  • Raza, Syed Turab
  • Karim, Sona

Abstract

Pakistan's agricultural system, ranked among the world's most water-stressed, demonstrates a critical resource utilization challenge. Despite a 21.8 % expansion in harvested area since 1991 and consuming 90 % of national freshwater resources, wheat productivity remains stagnant at half the global average. This disconnect between input use and output is further exacerbated by 50 % groundwater over-extraction, declining irrigation efficiency, and increasing reliance on chemical inputs. Collectively, these trends reveal the systemic fragility of input-driven growth and underscore the urgent need for an integrated water-energy-food (WEF) nexus approach to reconcile productivity with sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Iqbal, Hassan & Yaning, Chen & Raza, Syed Turab & Karim, Sona, 2026. "Optimizing the water-energy-food Nexus for sustainable agriculture in Pakistan: A systems analysis with global implications," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:232:y:2026:i:c:s0308521x25003129
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104572
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