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AGRICULTURE IS THIRSTY


source: www.panda.org/about_wwf/
what_we_do/freshwater/problems/
agriculture/index.cfm

www.panda.org/downloads/
freshwater/WETTHREATSENG.doc

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agriculture

Agriculture is considered the main cause for wetland loss worldwide…

Persistent agricultural subsidies and surpluses are responsible for the transformation of hundreds of thousands of hectares of wetlands in the world:
  • globally, agriculture accounts for 65% of the total water withdrawal on Earth;


  • in Africa, agriculture represents 69% of total water withdrawal with the industrial sector accounting for just 5%;


  • in North America, the industrial sector claims 47% of total water use, with 39% going to agriculture;


  • the amount of water used in irrigation has increased 10 times in the past 100 years: 235 million hectares of land are currently irrigated worldwide. Plans are set for further expansions.
Much water is also lost or wasted, whether in public water supply systems or through inefficient use and lack of recycling in industries, all of which leads to greater demands on less water resources in wetlands and reservoirs.

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