19th December 2025
What should we be doing? – 1
Reviewing and redesigning the way we use fresh water so as to conserve and protect this precious resource for the benefit of all.
“Human use of water, especially for agriculture, is [a] major driver of freshwater change. Irrigation alone accounts for about 70% of all freshwater withdrawals, and around 90% of the water that is consumed and not returned to the source. Large-scale river diversions, dams, and groundwater pumping have dramatically altered the flow and storage of blue water, lowering water levels in rivers, lakes, and aquifers and degrading aquatic habitats.” (1)
Where dams are placed and how the flow of water downstream is controlled is very important if fair access to water is to be ensured. One of the main factors causing Iran to be so short of water and why in parts of Tehran there is a real risk of taps literally running dry. Nations upstream of Iran have set up dams and extract so much water, that downstream rivers such as the Tigris have severely reduced flow.
How water is used for agriculture also needs to be controlled and consideration given as to which crops are grown, and whether there are more water efficient plant varieties and methods of farming.
The Aral Sea has already been destroyed by agricultural water extraction (mainly for cotton which is a very thirsty crop – 15,000 tonnes of irrigation water per hectare) and now the Caspian Sea is similarly under threat.
Consideration also needs to be given to the place of livestock farming. Globally 30–40% of fresh water is used to provide 16% of the food obtained as meat, eggs, and dairy products – the vast majority of this is water used in growing food crops for the animals.
All foods have a fresh water footprint. The size will vary with location. Strawberries grown for example in Spain will have a higher water footprint than those grown in the cooler climes of the UK. 70% of Spanish strawberries are grown in the Doñana region where the extraction of water is depleting the water in the region’s biodiverse wetlands.
Governments and farmers and scientists need to work together to ensure against the over-extraction of water. Different farming methods and different crops etc that use less water should be utilised.
As customers we too can contribute by shaping our diets around foods with lower water footprints.
You can find more information online: eg-
Or look at the Planetary Health Diet. Its researchers estimate that following this optimised diet produces a lower water footprint of up to 30%.
(1) https://www.planetaryhealthcheck.org/boundary/freshwater-change/
The Green Tau 