The water footprints of a cropping system in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan – Frontiers

Research Report: Water Footprint Assessment in Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan (2000-2023) and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

This report details a study conducted in the Chirakchi Watershed, southern Uzbekistan, to evaluate the water footprint (WFP) of key agricultural crops from 2000 to 2023. Using the SWAT and APEX biophysical models, the research assessed the green (rainwater) and blue (irrigation) water consumption for cotton, wheat, carrot, and potato. The findings reveal a critical and growing dependency on blue water for agriculture, posing significant challenges to regional water security and the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This analysis provides crucial insights for enhancing water productivity and aligning Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector with global sustainability targets, particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

2.0 Study Objectives and Methodology

The primary objective was to quantify and analyze the water footprint of selected crops to understand water use efficiency within the region’s farming systems. This directly supports the monitoring of SDG Target 6.4 (increase water-use efficiency) and SDG Target 12.2 (achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources).

• Study Area: Chirakchi Watershed, southern Uzbekistan, an arid region heavily reliant on irrigated agriculture.
• Crops Analyzed: Cotton, wheat, carrot, and potato.
• Time Period: 2000 – 2023.
• Methodology: An integrated modeling approach was employed, utilizing:
  1. SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool): To assess broad hydrological patterns.
  2. APEX (Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender): To simulate crop-specific water consumption and yield.

3.0 Key Findings and SDG Implications

The study’s results indicate significant variations in water consumption among crops and a concerning trend towards unsustainable water use, with direct implications for several SDGs.

3.1 High Water Footprint of Cotton

Cotton cultivation was identified as having the highest water footprint among the crops studied. This intensive water use, primarily from blue water sources, directly conflicts with the principles of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). The production pattern is unsustainable given the region’s water scarcity, challenging the nation’s ability to ensure efficient use of natural resources.

3.2 Increasing Reliance on Blue Water

A critical finding is the region’s growing dependence on irrigation (blue water) due to declining rainfall patterns (green water). This trend presents a direct threat to achieving SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), specifically Target 6.4, which calls for ensuring sustainable freshwater withdrawals to address water scarcity. The heavy reliance on irrigation exacerbates water stress in an already arid climate, jeopardizing long-term water security for both agriculture and other essential needs.

3.3 Challenges to Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture

The reliance on irrigation for staple food crops like wheat and potato highlights a tension between different development goals. While essential for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), the current methods of production undermine water sustainability (SDG 6) and responsible resource management (SDG 12). The long-term viability of these agricultural systems is threatened by climate change and increasing water scarcity, which could reverse progress on food security.

4.0 Alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This research provides a critical evidence base for assessing Uzbekistan’s progress towards the 2030 Agenda. The findings underscore an urgent need for policy intervention to reconcile agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The study serves as a direct evaluation of Target 12.2. The high WFP of crops like cotton indicates that current production patterns are not sustainable and require significant transformation towards greater efficiency.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The data on increasing blue water dependency is a critical indicator for Target 6.4. It highlights the urgent need for strategies to improve water productivity and manage demand in the agricultural sector.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The report shows that achieving food security (Target 2.4) requires the implementation of resilient and sustainable agricultural practices that are not dependent on the over-exploitation of finite water resources.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The study’s context of declining rainfall and increasing water stress links directly to the need for climate adaptation strategies (Target 13.1) in the agricultural sector to build resilience against climate change impacts.

5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations for Sustainable Action

The evaluation of the water footprint in the Chirakchi Watershed reveals an agricultural system under significant water stress, characterized by an unsustainable reliance on irrigation. This trajectory is incompatible with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Recommendations:

1. Enhance Water Productivity: Implement policies and provide incentives for farmers to adopt water-saving technologies and practices to meet the goals of SDG 6 and SDG 12.
2. Crop Diversification: Encourage a shift away from water-intensive crops like cotton towards less thirsty, high-value alternatives that can support both economic growth and environmental sustainability.
3. Strengthen Water Governance: Improve integrated water resource management frameworks to ensure equitable and sustainable allocation of water resources, balancing the needs of agriculture with other sectors and the environment.
4. Invest in Data and Monitoring: Continue to use modeling tools like SWAT and APEX to monitor water use efficiency and inform adaptive management strategies, ensuring progress towards the SDGs is evidence-based.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article focuses on the agricultural production of key crops (cotton, wheat, carrot, and potato), which is fundamental to food security and ending hunger. It examines the sustainability of these agricultural practices, directly linking to the goal of achieving sustainable agriculture.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  This is a central theme of the article. The study explicitly evaluates the “green and blue water footprints” of crops, assesses the “sustainability of water use,” and highlights challenges related to “water scarcity” and “sustainable water management practice.” This directly addresses the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article is explicitly part of a research topic on “Agronomy and Sustainable Development Goal 12.” The core of the study is the analysis of the “water footprint of crops (WFP),” which is a measure of resource efficiency in production. By evaluating how efficiently water is used in agriculture, the article directly addresses the need for more sustainable production patterns.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article connects the challenges of water management to broader environmental changes, stating that “increasing water scarcity, combined with climate change… threatens the long-term sustainability of agricultural practices.” This highlights the need to adapt agricultural systems to the impacts of climate change, which is a key aspect of climate action.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 2.4 (under SDG 2)

   This target aims to “ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production… and strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change.” The article’s investigation into the “long-term sustainability of agricultural practices” in an arid region facing “declining rainfall patterns” and “climate change” directly relates to this target. The study’s goal of offering “valuable insights into improving water productivity” supports the implementation of more resilient practices.

2. Target 6.4 (under SDG 6)

   This target calls to “substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.” The article’s entire premise is built around this target. It evaluates the “water footprint of crops (WFP)” to understand “how efficiently water is used in a farming system” and addresses the “growing dependence on irrigation (blue water)” amid “increasing water scarcity.”

3. Target 12.2 (under SDG 12)

   This target focuses on achieving “the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.” The study’s analysis of the water footprint is a direct measurement of the efficiency of water (a natural resource) use in the agricultural sector. By identifying that “cotton water use being the highest,” the study provides data necessary for better management of this resource.

4. Target 13.1 (under SDG 13)

   This target is to “strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The article identifies that the region’s agriculture is threatened by “declining rainfall patterns” and “climate change.” The study of water footprints and reliance on irrigation is a way to assess the system’s vulnerability and provides a basis for strengthening its resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced water stress.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Water Footprint of Crops (WFP)

  This is the primary indicator used in the study. The article explicitly states it “evaluated the green and blue water footprints of selected crops.” This indicator directly measures the volume of water consumed to produce a crop, which is essential for tracking progress towards Target 6.4 (water-use efficiency) and Target 12.2 (efficient use of natural resources).

• Water Productivity

  The article mentions that the study “offers valuable insights into improving water productivity.” Water productivity (crop yield per unit of water consumed) is a key indicator for measuring the efficiency of water use in agriculture, relevant to Target 2.4 and Target 6.4.

• Ratio of Blue Water to Green Water Use

  The study distinguishes between “green” (rainfall) and “blue” (irrigation) water. The finding of a “growing dependence on irrigation (blue water) due to declining rainfall patterns (green water)” implies that the ratio between these two is a critical indicator. It can be used to measure the sustainability of water withdrawals (Target 6.4) and the agricultural system’s resilience to climate change (Target 13.1).

• Sustainability Assessment of Agricultural Practices

  The article states that the study “evaluates the sustainability of water use in the region agricultural practices.” This assessment, based on models like SWAT and APEX, serves as a qualitative and quantitative indicator of progress towards establishing sustainable food production systems under Target 2.4.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: frontiersin.org