Central Asian countries are among the Top-10 in the world for water consumption, reports the Tajik Telegram channel Geostatistics, according to Asiaplus.tj.
To produce a unit of agricultural output in Central Asian countries, nearly three times more water is used compared to developed countries.
Inefficient water use in agriculture is a major concern. About 50% of irrigated lands are affected by salinization and waterlogging due to imperfect irrigation and drainage systems.
The annual water consumption in Central Asian countries is as follows:
- Turkmenistan - 5319 cubic meters
- Kazakhstan - 2345 cubic meters
- Uzbekistan - 2295 cubic meters
- Kyrgyzstan - 1989 cubic meters
- Tajikistan - 1895 cubic meters
Specifically, water consumption in Tajikistan is distributed as follows:
- Agriculture - 85%
- Municipal services - 5%
- Industry - 5%
- Fish farming - 1.5%
- Other needs - 3.5%
According to the World Bank, the population of the five Central Asian countries currently exceeds 78 million people. By 2050, with projected demographic growth, the population in Central Asian countries will reach 90-100 million, and a water deficit of up to 25-30% is expected.
Moreover, the demand for water resources used for irrigated agriculture could increase by 30% by 2030.
Time to save!
According to specialists from the Eurasian Development Bank, the temperature in the region is rising faster than the global average, and glaciers have shrunk by 30% over the past 50 years.
Most of the water is used for irrigation, with irrigated lands accounting for 66% of Central Asia's agricultural GDP. The situation is exacerbated by the aging infrastructure, with an average age of 50 years, and significant water losses due to salt filtration - 40%.
Additionally, the flow of river water from the Amu Darya from Afghanistan is decreasing as the country implements new hydraulic projects.
To avoid a deficit, it is suggested to save 5 billion cubic meters of water annually, reducing losses by 30% by 2030.
To address urgent problems, the EDB suggests regional countries take measures such as creating an International Water-Energy Council and developing cooperation with development banks, implementing digital water accounting technologies and modern land laser leveling technologies, strengthening cooperation with Afghanistan, and establishing a cluster for producing modern irrigation equipment instead of importing it.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
July 16, 2024