A recent report by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has highlighted the critical role of irrigation in water management across Central Asia, where 79% of the region's water is allocated to agricultural use.
The study emphasizes the importance of efficient irrigation technologies to sustain agricultural output and food security.
According to the EDB's 2025 report, Central Asia consumes 127.3 cubic kilometers of water per year, with 100.4 cubic kilometers—nearly four-fifths—directed towards irrigation. The report underscores that agriculture remains the dominant consumer of water in the region.
“Irrigated agriculture is vital for food security,” the report states. The significance of irrigation is particularly high in countries like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, where it contributes substantially to agricultural production. Despite occupying just 24% of all sown land, irrigated areas generate 66% of the region's total agricultural output. The report provides a breakdown of the figures: 100% of Turkmenistan's agricultural output is derived from irrigated lands, while other countries follow closely with varying levels: 87% in Uzbekistan, 85% in Kyrgyzstan, 82% in Tajikistan, and 40% in Kazakhstan.
In crop production specifically, irrigated areas account for about 80% of total agricultural output across the region. The reliance on irrigation is attributed to the region's climate, which is characterized by insufficient and unstable moisture levels, making irrigation essential for sustaining agricultural development.
Irrigated land also plays a critical role in ensuring agricultural stability, particularly during dry years when rainfall is inadequate. The report calls for further advancements in irrigation technologies to ensure more sustainable water use and mitigate the impacts of water scarcity in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump credits himself with ending "seven wars in seven months" since he returned to the White House in January. With just a few ...
The United States will deploy 200 troops as part of a joint task force aimed at stabilising Gaza, though no U.S. personnel will be stationed within th...
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb finalised an agreement for the U.S. Coast Guard to acquire up to 11 i...
A large-scale Russian attack on Friday morning caused a fire in a high-rise apartment building in central Kyiv and targeted energy infrastructure, off...
On Thursday, the Trump administration proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russian airspace on flights to and from the United States, ar...
Egypt and Sudan on Wednesday described Ethiopia’s Nile River dam as a “threat” to their countries, citing serious consequences for water security and regional stability.
Iran has inaugurated a $70 million water diversion initiative aimed at increasing the capital’s water supply.
The Tawila Cisterns, a network of ancient water reservoirs carved into Shamsan mountain, have been included in the Arab Architectural and Urban Heritage list by the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
Iran is grappling with a worsening water crisis, with more than 20 of its 31 provinces suffering from severe shortages that have left the capital Tehran facing the risk of running dry.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
New restrictions have been reported on some social media platforms in Afghanistan, barely a week after a two-day nationwide blackout disrupted internet and telecommunications services in the country.
The Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh is scheduled to visit Baku next week to take part in the tri-lateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia to exchange views on the development of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
At the invitation of President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has arrived in Dushanbe on 9 October to participate in the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council.
The Kremlin says it is optimistic about talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, due to take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Wednesday — their first full meeting in a year.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a message to participants of the international conference 'Combining Efforts and Expanding Cooperation for Resolving the Issue of Missing Persons', held in Baku within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment