Water Footprint of Central Asia

18 09 2023

Bo Libert

Contents

1. Short introduction to the WF methodology
2. Results at CA regional level
3. Key learnings Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
4. Limitations and future application

Water Footprint Assessment

• The assessment includes: Scope setting, Accounting,

Sustainability Assessment & Response Formulation

• Geographical and time specific
• Focus on supply chains, virtual water trade and economic� value of water
• Can be applied to
• Product
• Process
• Consumer(=us)
• Company
• Country
• River basin
• World

​

3

Components of Water Footprint

Green water footprint

• Rainwater

​

Blue water footprint

• Surface or groundwater

​

Grey water footprint

• Polluted water

​

4

Water footprint reduction

• Increase crop production per m3 = increase food security
• Smart virtual water trade = use ‘national advantage’ to export products with a low WF and import products with a high WF
• Increase economic value per exported m3 by processing or alternative crops

Water Footprint of Central Asia

​

​

​

Blue & Green water footprint of production, per country

Major crops: blue & green WF

Both blue and green water is used in regional (domestic) consumption and only up to 20% is exported outside of the region.

​

However, trade statistics don’t include absolutely all traded products, export ratio might be a bit higher.

Virtual water trade

Key learnings Kazakhstan

• Kazakhstan is a net virtual water exporter.
• The major crops which consume the largest proportion of green and blue water resources are wheat, barley, linseed, sunflower and cotton.
• Wheat and linseed are important products for export.
• Wheat production is highly dependent on rainfall thus vulnerable to drought conditions. Severe drought may impact export income for the country and food security for the region.
• Improving water and land productivity can improve water use sustainability and help ensure greater export value and food security.

​

10

Key learnings Uzbekistan

• Uzbekistan’s virtual water exports are related to cotton and mainly to China.
• The country’s virtual water imports are mostly through wheat and mainly from Kazakhstan.
• Water scarcity conditions and hydrological drought would affect Uzbekistan’s economy and food security considerably. However, Uzbekistan creates value added to its water resources by importing green water footprint dominant crops and exporting more cash-bringing crop-products (but water intensive).

Economic value of water

WF of cotton in CA countries

The water footprint of cotton per tonne is the largest in Turkmenistan, which is almost double of cotton in Uzbekistan.

​

​

Benchmark 1822m3/ton

​

Source: WFATool

Hoekstra & Mekonnen

Limitations

• Quality of….
• Availability of….
• Openness to sharing….

​

Data and statistics

​

How to use the Water Footprint

• To understand water use in different supply chains
• To better understand water use of specific crops, in regions, basins, countries etc
• What is the cost of food self-sufficiency in terms of water use?
• To follow developments over time: impact of policies, changes in crop production etc

​

Suggested conclusion

A discussion in Central Asia on the application of the Water Footprint Methodology should be initiated including on:

• How to sustainably manage water
• Virtual water and other aspects of trade policy
• Economic value of water use

​

bluepeace-centralasia.ch/knowledge/publications/��also available in Russian

How can you decrease the water footprint?

​

​

​