Greener Future: Bridging Technology and Agriculture

Our “Bridging Technology and Agriculture” project focuses on tackling water insecurity by implementing smart soil moisture sensors to conserve water and enhance agricultural productivity. The initiative was created to address the unique challenges faced by farmers in Southern Punjab, particularly in Rahim Yar Khan and Muzaffargarh, which lie at the tail end of Pakistan’s canal irrigation system.

The project is being implemented in collaboration with key partners including the Dairy and Rural Development Foundation (DRDF), Mango Research Institute Multan (MRI) and leading academic institutions. Together, these multi-stakeholders have developed cost-effective smart soil moisture sensors that are connected to a cloud platform, providing real-time data on soil moisture levels directly accessible to farmers through mobile devices. This technology allows for optimal irrigation, ultimately conserving water and improving crop yields.

Currently, the smart sensors cover around 220 hectares of agricultural land in Central Punjab. My project is in process of scaling up the usage of smart sensors to cover 50 additional hectares, and small fruit farms and rice fields across Southern Punjab. My team strives to benefit more farmers in the region, and address water insecurity, while contributing to the conservation and restoration of natural resources.

Being project lead, assisted by a group of young women, we are promoting female empowerment in the agricultural sector. We strive to foster a more inclusive and sustainable approach to agriculture in Pakistan. We have made multiple trips over 500km away from our hometown to ensure the success of our project. In the light of our vision and achievements, our project was shortlisted for The Stem Prize under Iris Prize 2024.