Under the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office-funded Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan programme, IWMI hosted environmental journalists from Karachi and Quetta to deepen reporting on water governance and on-the-ground accountability.
Journalists attended an Environmental Journalists’ Quarterly Meeting in Islamabad where Country Representative Muhammad Ashraf and Gender & Social Inclusion Specialist Kanwal Waqar briefed the group on WRAP Pakistan interventions and the drive to strengthen independent environmental journalism.
The delegation then visited two WRAP pilot districts, Chakwal in Punjab and Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to witness practical solutions and speak directly with local stakeholders and farmers about water use and productivity.
In Chakwal, participants observed soil moisture sensors, flux towers and CTD divers in operation. Women farmers highlighted how soil moisture sensors have removed guesswork from irrigation, lowering water consumption, fuel use and pumping costs while improving cropping decisions.
In Mansehra the group saw precision irrigation raising orchard yields through targeted moisture monitoring, and watched a community-scale hydraulic ram pump deliver water to uphill fields. Journalists heard how the pump saves time for women and girls, eases livestock stress and supports small-scale vegetable production.
By combining structured media engagement with field exposure, IWMI is ensuring WRAP Pakistan stories reach policymakers, stakeholders and the public through credible, independent reporting that highlights scalable water governance solutions.
