Kazakhstan enters world’s top eight for water consumption

Kazakhstan is among the world leaders in per capita freshwater consumption and faces a serious risk of intensifying its water deficit in the coming years. This unexpected global ranking forces a fresh look at the situation in Central Asia, El.kz reports.

Turkmenistan and the Massive Water Footprint

Turkmenistan firmly holds first place, with a figure exceeding 3,631 cubic meters of water per person per year. The reason lies in a vast network of irrigation canals established during the Soviet era for cotton fields in an arid climate.

These projects dealt a heavy blow to the Aral Sea. Today, the consequences are felt by all countries in the region.

Central Asia Leads the Rankings

Alongside Turkmenistan at the top of the list are other nations from our region. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Iran have firmly established themselves within the top fifteen.

Agriculture plays the primary role here. Arid lands require large-scale irrigation, while relatively small populations drive up the per capita metrics.

Kazakhstan: High Volumes and Growing Risks

Kazakhstan occupies a high position in the ranking varying by source between eighth and twelfth place in the world. In 2020, the total water withdrawal was approximately 1.31 thousand cubic meters per person per year.

The majority of this water goes to the fields. Agriculture accounts for over 70 percent of total volume. At the same time, infrastructure is heavily worn out losses in canals reach 50–60 percent. This creates significant pressure on resources, especially in the southern regions.

70 Percent of Water for the Fields

Agriculture consumes about 70 percent of all freshwater in the world. In Kazakhstan, this share is even higher.

This structure explains why countries with irrigated farming dominate the rankings. However, high consumption carries risks. Experts warn that by 2050, the water deficit in the republic could triple.

Not Just Irrigation

Not all leaders in the ranking depend exclusively on agriculture. The United States ranks fifth. Canada and Estonia are also in the top 20. In those countries, water is actively withdrawn for industry and cooling power plants.

While part of that water is returned to reservoirs, the process itself creates a heavy burden. In Kazakhstan, industry and energy also contribute, though to a lesser extent than the agricultural sector.

Small Countries with Large Figures

Montenegro, with a population of only 627,702, unexpectedly took second place with a figure of 3,543 cubic meters per person.

In small states, large irrigation or industrial facilities automatically result in high per capita values. This explains many of the surprises in the ranking.

Today, Kazakhstan is balancing between high water consumption and a growing deficit. Currently, the bulk of the water is spent on food production and energy rather than domestic needs. The question is how quickly Kazakhstan can modernize its systems and reduce losses to avoid finding itself in an even more difficult situation.