COTTON AND WATER.
Cotton is one of the thirstiest crops in the world, taking about
2,720 litres of water to produce one cotton T-shirt, equivalent to what
an average person might drink over three years. Consumption of cotton
products represents 2.6% of the global water footprint of consumed goods
and services. 80% of the total EU water footprint is located outside
Europe in countries such as China, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan. In 2008, 2,890 billion litres of water was used in Pakistan
to grow the cotton needed just to make products sold by the homestore
Ikea – equivalent to the volume of drinking water consumed in Sweden
over 176 years.
More than 70% of global cotton is produced using irrigation and
15-35% of all irrigation withdrawals are estimated to be unsustainable.
The environmental and social impacts of unsustainable cotton
production are perhaps most clearly demonstrated by the demise of the
Aral Sea in Central Asia. This inland sea has almost disappeared as a
direct result of intense cotton production under the former Soviet Union
and its decline is continuing today. Although this particular example
is driven by a unique set of political and economic factors, the
ever-growing demand for cotton globally could trigger future ecological
crises, increased poverty, forced migration and violent conflict, both
nationally and between nations.
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The demise of the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Above the Aral sea in 1989
Below the Aral Sea in 2009.
