Enabling Volumetric Flow Measurement in the Indus Basin Irrigation Scheme: Perceptions and Conflict Reduction

Globally water use in agriculture is inefficient, with problems more pronounced in the global south. Pakistan's Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) is a noteworthy case, withdrawing over 95% of the surface water resource. The Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) is a vast gravity irrigation system with next to no volumetric measurement and low, area‐based water charges; the lack of flow information makes accountability difficult and reduces the marginal cost of water use to zero for farmers. The path toward a functional agricultural water system with volumetric fees and the potential for intra and inter‐sectoral trading begins with measurement, but this is a challenge for the IBIS, where tampering with equipment as well as fouling by sediment‐laden water are major impediments. We present results from a pilot study that overcomes this challenge, develops a reliable measurement program for the IBIS, and illustrates how information alone (let alone its application to governance and trade) can make a difference in system behavior. Importantly, the method of ultrasonic depth measurement used in our system performs well under flow conditions present at or above the canal outlet level, emphasizing the importance of water user associations at the watercourse scale as actors in IBIS‐level water governance.