Economic Impact of Irrigation Development in the Command Areas of Gomal Zam Dam Project, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Case Study of Wheat Crop

Abstract

Having enough irrigation water is important for increasing crop production and improving the livelihoods of rural communities. This study focuses on the impact of the Gomal Zam Dam (GZD) Project on wheat production and its income per acre in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The baseline information (wheat production and income per acre before project/intervention) and post-information (wheat and income per acre after project/intervention) were considered in the study to achieve the research goal. The statistical package SPSS was used to apply the paired t-test in the study. The results revealed that the GZD Project has a significant role in increasing wheat production per acre, M_before = 401.40 kg/acre, M_After = 1258.3 kg/acre, t (46) = -31.33, and p < 0.05, as well as net income per acre in the common areas, M_before = 17875.83 Rs/acre, M_After = 46304.69 Rs/acre, t (46) = -18.26, and p < 0.05. It can be concluded that the GZD Project has significantly increased wheat production and net income. These results imply that irrigation development can play a vital role in enhancing agricultural productivity and supporting rural livelihoods in the command area.