According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Uzbekistan annually consumes 23% more water than nature can replenish. The country’s “water stress” level has reached 123%, officially confirming that the crisis has moved from prediction to reality, Tashkent Today reported.
The situation remains uneven in the Central Asian region. Turkmenistan recorded the worst indicator at 135.2%. Other neighbors remain within sustainable consumption limits: Tajikistan (69.9%), Kyrgyzstan (50%), and Kazakhstan (34.6%).
Countries in the Middle East are the world leaders in this negative rating. Kuwait consumes 3850% more than the norm, the UAE 1509.9%, and Saudi Arabia 974.2%. Experts emphasize that freshwater shortages are becoming a key factor hindering economic growth and threatening national security.
