According to a report by the United Nations, about 70% of the Earth's fresh water is used for agricultural irrigation. Of the water used in agriculture, only about half of it can be reused, because much of it evaporates or is lost during transit. Some of the crops that require the most water include soybeans, cotton, rice and sugarcane. Some experts are concerned about water waste and encourage the development of new technologies that could improve irrigation efficiency. They also recommend removing water subsidies, which would increase the cost of water and force users to be more conscious of irrigation management.
More about water use:
- Water covers about 70% of the Earth, and 97.5% of it is saltwater.
- Modern irrigation methods have negatively affected fish populations in many areas.
- The countries that use the greatest volume of water include India, China, the United States and the Russian Federation.
