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This Water Footprint Assessment study was mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), in the context of the Blue Peace Central Asia initiative in five central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. The BPCA is aimed at sustainable and efficient water resource management at transboundary, river basin level while addressing the challenges of the water-energy-food nexus.
The report summarizes a first assessment of the water footprint of Central Asia, analyzing the region as a whole, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins and the five nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It provides insights into the water footprint of consumption and production as well as into the virtual water flows between the 5 central Asian states and between the region and the world. It further shows how virtual water flows and economic water productivity can drive decision making on water gains at national level. The report concludes with recommendations for increasing the efficiency of water consumption for agricultural production and with case specific recommendations for further applicability of the results.