Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan

The water footprint of crops (WFP) is crucial to understand how efficiently water is used in a farming system. This study evaluated the green and blue water footprints of selected crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, located in southern Uzbekistan. The sustainability of water use in the region’s agricu...

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Autores principales: Worqlul, A. W., Akramkhanov, A., Gafurov, Zafar
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Frontiers Media 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176375
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author Worqlul, A. W.
Akramkhanov, A.
Gafurov, Zafar
author_browse Akramkhanov, A.
Gafurov, Zafar
Worqlul, A. W.
author_facet Worqlul, A. W.
Akramkhanov, A.
Gafurov, Zafar
author_sort Worqlul, A. W.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The water footprint of crops (WFP) is crucial to understand how efficiently water is used in a farming system. This study evaluated the green and blue water footprints of selected crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, located in southern Uzbekistan. The sustainability of water use in the region’s agriculture is a growing concern due to its arid climate and increasing reliance on irrigation. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of crop water use is essential for improving productivity and ensuring long-term water resource sustainability. The study evaluates the sustainability of water use in the region agricultural practices by integrating two biophysical simulation models, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and APEX (Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender), to assess water consumption patterns of cotton, wheat, carrot, and potato between 2000 and 2023. The result of the study indicated a significant variation in water use among the selected crops, with cotton water use being the highest among the selected crops. The findings also revealed a declining trend in rainfall (green water) and increasing dependence on irrigation (blue water), particularly for cotton and wheat. This pattern highlights the water-intensive nature of the region's dominant cropping system. These trends are alarming, given the region's arid climate and increasing water scarcity driven by climate change. The study highlights the urgent need for improved irrigation efficiency and the adoption of water-saving practices, such as mulching or precision irrigation, to mitigate unsustainable water consumption. This research offers valuable insights into improving water productivity and can inform policy and management strategies in Uzbekistan's agricultural sector.
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spelling CGSpace1763752025-12-08T10:29:22Z Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan Worqlul, A. W. Akramkhanov, A. Gafurov, Zafar water footprint irrigated farming crop water use water productivity watersheds models The water footprint of crops (WFP) is crucial to understand how efficiently water is used in a farming system. This study evaluated the green and blue water footprints of selected crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, located in southern Uzbekistan. The sustainability of water use in the region’s agriculture is a growing concern due to its arid climate and increasing reliance on irrigation. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of crop water use is essential for improving productivity and ensuring long-term water resource sustainability. The study evaluates the sustainability of water use in the region agricultural practices by integrating two biophysical simulation models, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and APEX (Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender), to assess water consumption patterns of cotton, wheat, carrot, and potato between 2000 and 2023. The result of the study indicated a significant variation in water use among the selected crops, with cotton water use being the highest among the selected crops. The findings also revealed a declining trend in rainfall (green water) and increasing dependence on irrigation (blue water), particularly for cotton and wheat. This pattern highlights the water-intensive nature of the region's dominant cropping system. These trends are alarming, given the region's arid climate and increasing water scarcity driven by climate change. The study highlights the urgent need for improved irrigation efficiency and the adoption of water-saving practices, such as mulching or precision irrigation, to mitigate unsustainable water consumption. This research offers valuable insights into improving water productivity and can inform policy and management strategies in Uzbekistan's agricultural sector. 2025 2025-09-08T07:05:51Z 2025-09-08T07:05:51Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176375 en Open Access application/pdf Frontiers Media Worqlul, A. W.; Akramkhanov, A.; Gafurov, Z. 2025. Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan. Frontiers in Agronomy, 7:1595665. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2025.1595665
spellingShingle water footprint
irrigated farming
crop water use
water productivity
watersheds
models
Worqlul, A. W.
Akramkhanov, A.
Gafurov, Zafar
Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan
title Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan
title_full Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan
title_fullStr Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan
title_full_unstemmed Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan
title_short Water footprints of irrigated crops in the Chirakchi Watershed, Uzbekistan
title_sort water footprints of irrigated crops in the chirakchi watershed uzbekistan
topic water footprint
irrigated farming
crop water use
water productivity
watersheds
models
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176375
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AT akramkhanova waterfootprintsofirrigatedcropsinthechirakchiwatersheduzbekistan
AT gafurovzafar waterfootprintsofirrigatedcropsinthechirakchiwatersheduzbekistan