Water Unites

still applied. The water loss from the huge Karakum Canal, with its unprotected banks, is
estimated at one to two-thirds of the total flow. 14
As a consequence, Central Asia has the lowest water use efficiency worldwide. 15
Experts estimate that 50% to 80% of irrigation water is lost before reaching the fields. 16
This leads to water use as high as 12 200 cubic metres per hectare-UNECE assesses water
use in cotton irrigation even with up to 14 400–16 600 m 3 /ha. The following table shows
that even compared with countries like Egypt or Turkey (themselves not the most efficient
water users), per capita water use in Central Asia is considerably higher. 17
The main reasons for water scarcity in Central Asia are hence anthropogenic and
rooted in wasteful overconsumption. This can actually be viewed as an opportunity. If
water scarcity is a result of human activities, then we can improve the situation if we
change our behaviour to more sustainable water usage and management.
6000
5000
m 3 per year
5324
Per-capita water consumption
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Turkmenistan
2351 2297
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
1983 1901
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Egypt
977
Turkey
548
Russia
China
528 485
Nepal
399
Israel
291
Morocco
173
Mongolia
172
1000m 3 /capita
per year
Dynamics of water availability change in Central Asia
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Central Asia
8.4
Europe
5.9
4.20
2.55
Categories of water availability
measured in thousand m 3 per capita/year
=1.7 significant
=1.0–1,7 not significant
=1,0 shortage
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
14 Giese et al. 2004.
15 UNDP 2006.
16 EuropeAid 2010, World Bank 2004.
17 Bucknall et al. 2004, EuropeAid 2010, UNDP 2006, UNECE 2004.
24 Ecological legacies: environmental impacts of unsustainable water management