China, Pakistan sign RMB 5b water deal
Cyclon Tech, Shaanxi Water Group to develop smart irrigation, flood management projects enhancing climate resilience
" The colonial architects also paint the landscape as a wasteland… to argue that ‘only modern irrigation can save the landscape’," University of Texas at Austin PhD candidate Mubbashir Rizvi. PHOTO: FILE/REUTERS
A new partnership between Pakistan’s Cyclon Tech and China’s Shaanxi Water Development and Construction Group is set to reshape Pakistan’s water management landscape, addressing some of the country’s most pressing challenges, from irrigation inefficiency to climate resilience.
Under a cooperation MoU worth around RMB 5 billion signed last month, the two sides will jointly develop comprehensive water conservancy and smart water management projects across Pakistan. The collaboration brings together China’s advanced engineering expertise and Pakistan’s on-ground capabilities, aiming to modernise an aging infrastructure critical to food security and national sustainability.
“This partnership represents a practical bridge between China’s technological strength and Pakistan’s development priorities,” said a senior representative from Cyclon Tech. “Our goal is to introduce smart, data-driven water management systems that enhance efficiency and resilience across the country.”
According to Cyclon Tech CEO Tausif Abbas, Pakistan’s water infrastructure faces multiple structural bottlenecks, including aging irrigation systems, inefficient water distribution, and inadequate storage capacity. These challenges have contributed to severe agricultural losses and growing water insecurity, particularly in rural regions dependent on outdated canal networks, China Economic Net reported.
“The partnership aims to introduce digital monitoring platforms, smart irrigation systems, and modern construction standards, drawn from China’s mature water conservancy models. We want to reduce water loss, improve agricultural productivity, and create a system that can adapt to future climatic stresses,” Abbas added.
Beyond addressing current inefficiencies, the collaboration seeks to strengthen Pakistan’s climate resilience. New reservoir and canal projects will improve water storage and supply reliability, especially during drought periods, while data-driven flood control systems will help manage seasonal risks.
Intelligent control systems will be deployed to monitor river flows, rainfall, and groundwater in real time, tools that have proven crucial in flood-prone regions.
Reference Link:- https://tribune.com.pk/story/2571941/china-pakistan-sign-rmb-5b-water-deal;
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
