Water-saving agriculture abroad

Author: Jia Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: China is a major country relatively scarce in water resources. Although the total water resources in the country amount to 2,800 billion cubic meters, ranking 6th in the world, the per capita share is only 2,220 cubic meters, which is only one-fourth of the world's average per capita level. China is also an agricultural country, with annual agricultural water usage reaching about 400 billion cubic meters, accounting for more than 70% of the country's total annual water consumption. Among this precious agricultural water, less than 40% is effectively utilized, while more than 60% is wasted during water transportation, distribution, and field irrigation. At the same time, only 1.1 kilograms of wheat are produced per ton of water. In contrast, agricultural water use in developed Western countries is effectively utilized to an extent of 80%, exceeding 90% in Israel, while 2.5 kilograms of wheat are produced per ton of water. These basic data and real-world conditions indicate that China's agriculture faces very serious water issues, and precisely for this reason, there is significant potential for water conservation.