EDB Report: 79% of Water in Central Asia Used for Irrigation

Efficient irrigation technologies are essential for water management in Central Asia, according to a report by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB, 2025).

Agriculture is the main consumer of water in the countries of the region: 100.4 out of 127.3 cubic km/year, or 79% of the water consumed in the region, is used for irrigation, The Caspian Post reports citing Akipress.

As the authors note, irrigated agriculture plays an important role in ensuring food security in Central Asian countries.

"Occupying about 24% of all sown areas, irrigated lands provide 66% of the region's gross agricultural output in value terms: about 100% in Turkmenistan, 87% in Uzbekistan, 85% in Kyrgyzstan, 82% in Tajikistan and 40% in Kazakhstan," the report says.

In crop production, this figure reaches 80% on average in the region.

This is due to the fact that a significant part of the region's territory is located in a zone of insufficient and unstable moisture, and agricultural development is only possible with the use of irrigation.

Irrigated lands help maintain the stability of agricultural production, especially in dry years.