{"id":112703,"date":"2026-02-16T02:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T01:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/?p=112703"},"modified":"2026-02-16T13:26:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:26:28","slug":"climate-change-is-driving-rising-agricultural-water-use-in-central-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/en\/environment\/climate-change-is-driving-rising-agricultural-water-use-in-central-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate change is driving rising agricultural water use in Central Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even as farmers shift toward less water-intensive crops, climate change is pushing agricultural water consumption upward in Central Asia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new study by IAMO researchers shows that rising temperatures and atmospheric water demand now outweigh land-use changes. As a result, the pressure on already scarce water resources is growing in one of the world\u2019s most water-stressed regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate change outweighs crop shifts in Central Asia’s water balance.Researchers reveal a clear and sobering trend for Central Asian agriculture: Climate change has substantially increased the water consumption of crops in the region, despite shifts toward less water-demanding crops. Focusing on the Amu Darya Basin, the region\u2019s most important river system, the study analyzes satellite-based estimates of actual evapotranspiration from 1987 to 2019. The results show that total crop water consumption increased by 10% over this period, while average water use per hectare rose by 18%. The key driver is climate change. Rising temperatures and atmospheric water demand alone would have pushed up crop water consumption by 21% per hectare. Changes in cropping practices, most notably the shift from water-intensive summer crops such as cotton toward winter wheat, offset only about 3% of this increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe findings underline that adaptation in agriculture has limits\u201d<\/em>, says IAMO researcher Daniela Pe\u00f1a-Guerrero<\/a>, lead author of the study. \u201cEven substantial shifts toward less water-intensive cropping cannot keep pace with the accelerating effects of climate change.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downstream regions of the Amu Darya Basin are particularly exposed. Water-intensive crops remain widespread, irrigation infrastructure is aging, and water stress is already severe. These conditions amplify the effects of rising temperatures and growing atmospheric water demand. The findings have global relevance. In irrigated dryland regions, improving water-use efficiency is essential in water-scarce basins, but efficiency gains and crop shifts alone cannot keep pace with climate change. Without decisive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, water scarcity will continue to intensify, increasing risks for food production, rural livelihoods, and regional stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n