Islamabad [Pakistan], November 6 : Pakistan is among six countries with the highest levels of inefficient agricultural water use amid worsening arid conditions, contributing to the annual global loss of 324 billion cubic metres of freshwater, according to the first edition of the global water monitoring report by the World Bank, Dawn reported.
The report, titled "Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future," states that about one-quarter of inefficient water consumption in rain-fed agriculture and one-third in irrigated agriculture is concentrated in regions experiencing declining freshwater availability, Dawn added.
These hot spots, where water inefficiency coincides with drying trends, are most pronounced in Western Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Africa. On a national level, the highest share of inefficient agricultural water consumption under drying conditions is observed in Algeria, Cambodia, Mexico, Pakistan, Thailand, Tunisia, and Romania, the report said.
Drawing on two decades of satellite data enhanced through new modelling techniques, the report provides an unprecedented view of how land and water management decisions are shaping water availability. The study highlights a global shift toward more water-intensive crops over the past 20 years. Among drying countries, 37 have transitioned to water-intensive agriculture, including 22 located in arid and semi-arid regions. Dawn noted that this structural shift, coupled with inefficiency, further intensifies water demand in already water-stressed countries.
More than two-thirds of the inefficient irrigation in drying areas is linked to the cultivation of water-intensive crops, emphasizing the need for smarter crop choices that align agricultural practices with water sustainability.
The report revealed that the world is losing 324 billion cubic metres of freshwater every year, enough to meet the needs of 280 million people annually. These losses are driven by worsening droughts and unsustainable practices, including poor pricing policies, weak coordination, deforestation, and wetland degradation.
Global water use has increased by 25 percent since 2000, with a third of that increase occurring in areas already facing drying conditions, according to the World Bank.
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