A most common statement is that agriculture uses the largest amount of water when our world is looked at as a whole: 70% of our water usage is for agriculture, 22% for our industries and a meager 8% in people's homes and for their personal use.
The 70-22-8 Segmentation does not apply to any country
Water extracted for agricultural use is different in different countries.
The richest nations use the most water for their industrial goods with agriculture usage being only about 50% of their industrial usage.
In contrast, low-income and middle-income nations spend over 800 times more water on agriculture than they do on industry. These lower income countries spend as much as 82% of their water supplies on agriculture.
Countries have their own individual ratios between the water they use for agriculture and the water they use in industry.
As shown in the chart, agricultural water use can range from a low of <25% to a high that is >90%.
And, the lower-income countries generally use a greater percentage of water for agricultural uses.
Rain-Fed Agriculture
The water that is withdrawn by nations for agriculture is always supplemented by rainfall.
In fact, agriculture that depends solely and mostly on rain represents about 80% of the total area under cultivation - This crop land produces about 60% of global food.
Also, developing countries have the largest share of cropland that requires irrigation i.e. land on which rain-fed agriculture is not suitable.
Southwestern US, southwestern Australia
The 70-22-8 Segmentation does not apply to any country
 |
| Source - RBC Wealth Management |
The richest nations use the most water for their industrial goods with agriculture usage being only about 50% of their industrial usage.
In contrast, low-income and middle-income nations spend over 800 times more water on agriculture than they do on industry. These lower income countries spend as much as 82% of their water supplies on agriculture.
 |
| Source - www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/globalmaps/05_AGW_PCT_TW.pdf |
As shown in the chart, agricultural water use can range from a low of <25% to a high that is >90%.
And, the lower-income countries generally use a greater percentage of water for agricultural uses.
Rain-Fed Agriculture
 |
| Irrigation fed land Source - fao.org |
In fact, agriculture that depends solely and mostly on rain represents about 80% of the total area under cultivation - This crop land produces about 60% of global food.
Also, developing countries have the largest share of cropland that requires irrigation i.e. land on which rain-fed agriculture is not suitable.
Southwestern US, southwestern Australia
No comments:
Post a Comment