Drip irrigation is a proven way of efficient water use in agriculture. There is a growing interest in the technology. Till recently, it has been associated with big investments and large-scale commercial plots. A new, worldwide trend, however, focuses on low-cost, simple drip irrigation systems for small farmers.

Although the majority of farmers in Pakistan are small or marginal, the country’s policy, while promoting drip irrigation, has yet to catch up with this change that might hold the key to alleviating a significant share of rural hunger and poverty. Recurrent droughts and increased competition for scarce water resources has put into bold relief the need to focus on efficient water use. This calls for a re-evaluation of strategies to improve access to water-saving technologies.

Examples of innovative adaptations of low cost systems by farmers to suit their needs show that drip technology made simple and flexible can work in ways that are more dynamic and fruitful than any sophisticated technology can.

What is drip irrigation? Typically, in canal-irrigated fields in Pakistan, water is released during the cropping season. A common method of irrigation is "flood irrigation" where all the water rushes into the field and, guided by channels and the slope of the land, flows along the rows of crops. A lot of this water is lost to evaporation; much of it percolates deep into the soil out of reach of the plant root; and a good percentage is lost even before it reaches the field.

Drip irrigation is the solution to recurrent water loss. It is particularly useful in areas that have a low water supply.