**7.2 Central and northern Sind**

The region consists of Hyderabad, Badin, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Dadu, Khairpur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Sukkur, and Shikarpur in Sind, Nasirabad in Baluchistan, and Rahim Yar Khan of Punjab (**Figure 7**).

The climate is arid subtropical continental with hot summer and mild winter. The zone could be subdivided into northern and southern regions. The northern region is extremely hot in summer with mean daily maximum temperature of above 40°C. The precipitation of the region varies from 16 to 20 mm. The minimum temperature in winter remains below 10°C with lowest mean monthly of 2.4°C.

The region is characterized by three main soil types with loam as a common feature. Along the river one meets the silt and sandy loam soils associated with the active floodplain. Outside the range of active floodplain in the upper part of the region, calcareous, loamy, and clayey soils cover vast stretches. In the rest of the region, soil texture is almost the same, but there are saline patches (**Figure 8**).

Most of this area comprises of arable irrigated land, with small patches of unused land under rough grazing. There are distinct cropping patterns that emerged with varying availability of irrigation water.

Canal-irrigated agriculture is the predominant land use of the region. Cotton and wheat, colza (mustard), sugarcane, and berseem fodder are the main crops in the area on the left bank of the Indus. Rice, wheat, gram, and berseem fodder are the main crops in the area on the right bank. *Sorghum bicolor* is the main crop in southern part of Dadu district because of water shortage.

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thorny bushes.

**Figure 8.**

*Sind province land use.*

**7.3 Thar and Cholistan Desert**

Parts of Tharparkar, Khairpur, Nawabshah, and Sanghar in Sind and Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur in Punjab cover this region, which is a part of the Great Indian Desert. The area is higher than the adjoining Indus plain, characterized by elongated sand ridges formed by wind process. The desert is covered by

The inter-dune areas are devoid of shifting sand. During the rainy season, the runoff from the adjoining dunes is collected in the central part providing enough moisture to support some scanty agriculture in the south eastern Sind. Most part of

*Environment, Agriculture, and Land Use Pattern DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83850*

*Environment, Agriculture, and Land Use Pattern DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83850*

*Climate Change and Agriculture*

**7.2 Central and northern Sind**

*Agro-ecological zones of Pakistan, GoP [19].*

The region consists of Hyderabad, Badin, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Dadu, Khairpur,

The climate is arid subtropical continental with hot summer and mild winter. The zone could be subdivided into northern and southern regions. The northern region is extremely hot in summer with mean daily maximum temperature of above 40°C. The precipitation of the region varies from 16 to 20 mm. The minimum temperature in winter remains below 10°C with lowest mean monthly

The region is characterized by three main soil types with loam as a common feature. Along the river one meets the silt and sandy loam soils associated with the active floodplain. Outside the range of active floodplain in the upper part of the region, calcareous, loamy, and clayey soils cover vast stretches. In the rest of the region, soil texture is almost the same, but there are saline patches (**Figure 8**). Most of this area comprises of arable irrigated land, with small patches of unused land under rough grazing. There are distinct cropping patterns that

Canal-irrigated agriculture is the predominant land use of the region. Cotton and wheat, colza (mustard), sugarcane, and berseem fodder are the main crops in the area on the left bank of the Indus. Rice, wheat, gram, and berseem fodder are the main crops in the area on the right bank. *Sorghum bicolor* is the main crop in

Larkana, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Sukkur, and Shikarpur in Sind, Nasirabad in

Baluchistan, and Rahim Yar Khan of Punjab (**Figure 7**).

emerged with varying availability of irrigation water.

southern part of Dadu district because of water shortage.

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of 2.4°C.

**Figure 7.**

**Figure 8.** *Sind province land use.*

#### **7.3 Thar and Cholistan Desert**

Parts of Tharparkar, Khairpur, Nawabshah, and Sanghar in Sind and Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur in Punjab cover this region, which is a part of the Great Indian Desert. The area is higher than the adjoining Indus plain, characterized by elongated sand ridges formed by wind process. The desert is covered by thorny bushes.

The inter-dune areas are devoid of shifting sand. During the rainy season, the runoff from the adjoining dunes is collected in the central part providing enough moisture to support some scanty agriculture in the south eastern Sind. Most part of the desert is rainfed. The depth of the underground water is at several 100 m and difficult to support the fauna, agriculture, and human needs. The climate of the desert is tropical with hot long summers and short warm winters. The climate is desert type with very hot days in summer and cold nights in winter with frost and fogs. Dust storms are common during summer season (**Figure 7**).

The area is characterized by the sandy soils and moving sand dunes. The valleys between the dunes have sandy loam, but these cover a very small proportion of the area. However, in the southern part, sandy loam soil covers considerably large patches of land. The western part of this region has long strips of clayey soils formed in the deposits of Hakra River.

The region comprises of the pastures for the grazing of sheep, goats, camels, and cattle. In the southern part jowar millets are important crops, which are grown in years of favorable precipitation. In the southeastern part of the region, where rainfall is about 300 mm (Tharparkar), wheat is also an important crop on loamy soils and castor on sandy loam soils (**Figure 8**).

#### **7.4 Central Punjab**

The region consists of Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Sahiwal, and Jhang districts of the south central Punjab, famous for the agriculture activities. The area is arid (steppe) with subtropical continental climates. The mean monthly temperature of the area remains above 35°C, whereas the winter minimum temperature is above 10°C. The area is characterized by hot summers and warm winters with dust storms in the month of June and July (**Figure 7**).

The soils are sandy loam to clayey loams [10]. Along the rivers, narrow strips of recent alluvium are deposited during the rainy season when the flow remains high. In the southern and central parts of central Punjab, dominating soils are calcareous salty loams having weak structure, whereas clayey soils occur in minor patches.

The area is covered by canal system for irrigation. Both *rabi* and *kharif* crops are cultivated in the region with high productivity. The main crops of the region are cotton, sugarcane, maize, and wheat. The area is also famous for the fruit orchards of citrus and mangoes throughout the arid region (**Figure 9**).

#### **7.5 Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan province**

The region comprises of Gilgit-Baltistan province and part of Chitral district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Enclosed by high mountains, the valleys located in Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, are characterized by extreme aridity. However, a large number of glacier-fed streams bring abundant water, which is used for irrigation of terraced agriculture. The terraces formed of fluvioglacial materials are highly fertile. The higher slopes of these valleys and the mountains in the neighborhood of snow line are covered with a narrow belt of pine forests (**Figure 7**).

The climate of the region varies from arid climate to undifferentiated highlands. The tops of high mountains are covered with snow generally for the greater part of the year. The summers are mild and the winters are cold.

"The soils are generally deep, clayey and are formed in colluvial material accumulated on lower parts of mountain slopes and in alluvial deposits in narrow valleys." [10]. Most of the area is used for grazing, and a part is under the scrub forest. Deep soils of valleys and lower parts of the mountains are used for growing maize and wheat under rainfed cultivation. Locally, in favorable condition rice is also grown with irrigation. Fruit orchards are confined to flanks of streams where irrigation water is available (**Figures 10** and **11**).

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**Figure 10.**

*Chitral district land use.*

**Figure 9.**

*Lower Punjab land use.*

*Environment, Agriculture, and Land Use Pattern DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83850*

*Environment, Agriculture, and Land Use Pattern DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83850*

*Climate Change and Agriculture*

in the deposits of Hakra River.

**7.4 Central Punjab**

soils and castor on sandy loam soils (**Figure 8**).

the desert is rainfed. The depth of the underground water is at several 100 m and difficult to support the fauna, agriculture, and human needs. The climate of the desert is tropical with hot long summers and short warm winters. The climate is desert type with very hot days in summer and cold nights in winter with frost and

The area is characterized by the sandy soils and moving sand dunes. The valleys between the dunes have sandy loam, but these cover a very small proportion of the area. However, in the southern part, sandy loam soil covers considerably large patches of land. The western part of this region has long strips of clayey soils formed

The region comprises of the pastures for the grazing of sheep, goats, camels, and cattle. In the southern part jowar millets are important crops, which are grown in years of favorable precipitation. In the southeastern part of the region, where rainfall is about 300 mm (Tharparkar), wheat is also an important crop on loamy

The region consists of Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Sahiwal, and Jhang districts of the south central Punjab, famous for the agriculture activities. The area is arid (steppe) with subtropical continental climates. The mean monthly temperature of the area remains above 35°C, whereas the winter minimum temperature is above 10°C. The area is characterized by hot summers and warm winters with dust storms in the month of June and July (**Figure 7**). The soils are sandy loam to clayey loams [10]. Along the rivers, narrow strips of recent alluvium are deposited during the rainy season when the flow remains high. In the southern and central parts of central Punjab, dominating soils are calcareous salty loams having weak structure, whereas clayey soils occur in minor patches.

The area is covered by canal system for irrigation. Both *rabi* and *kharif* crops are cultivated in the region with high productivity. The main crops of the region are cotton, sugarcane, maize, and wheat. The area is also famous for the fruit orchards

The region comprises of Gilgit-Baltistan province and part of Chitral district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Enclosed by high mountains, the valleys located in Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, are characterized by extreme aridity. However, a large number of glacier-fed streams bring abundant water, which is used for irrigation of terraced agriculture. The terraces formed of fluvioglacial materials are highly fertile. The higher slopes of these valleys and the mountains in the neighborhood of snow line

The climate of the region varies from arid climate to undifferentiated highlands. The tops of high mountains are covered with snow generally for the greater part

"The soils are generally deep, clayey and are formed in colluvial material accumulated on lower parts of mountain slopes and in alluvial deposits in narrow valleys." [10]. Most of the area is used for grazing, and a part is under the scrub forest. Deep soils of valleys and lower parts of the mountains are used for growing maize and wheat under rainfed cultivation. Locally, in favorable condition rice is also grown with irrigation. Fruit orchards are confined to flanks of streams where

of citrus and mangoes throughout the arid region (**Figure 9**).

are covered with a narrow belt of pine forests (**Figure 7**).

of the year. The summers are mild and the winters are cold.

irrigation water is available (**Figures 10** and **11**).

**7.5 Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan province**

fogs. Dust storms are common during summer season (**Figure 7**).

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**Figure 9.** *Lower Punjab land use.*

**Figure 10.** *Chitral district land use.*

**Figure 11.** *Gilgit-Baltistan province land use.*
