The global water crisis, caused by overexploitation of water for high-consumption crops and the livestock industry, is deepening conflicts in Egypt, the U.S., and India, while indigenous communities and small farmers face the consequences.
70% of the world’s freshwater is allocated to agriculture, mainly for crops like alfalfa, rice, and export products, exacerbating scarcity in regions like the Nile Delta, the Imperial Valley in California, and the Caberí River in India.
The combination of climate change, outdated irrigation techniques, and policies of industrial exploitation has turned water into a strategic and conflictive resource, affecting millions of people and ecosystems.
The Nile Delta: Agriculture in the face of the global water crisis
In Egypt, 55% of the population lives in the Nile Delta, where agriculture depends on a 5,000-year-old canal system. However, government modernization projects, such as lining canals to prevent losses, have increased soil salinization and reduced the water table.
Egyptian independent journalist Nadia A. Fat denounces that “we practically export water” through products like potatoes and strawberries, whose cultivation consumes up to 420 liters per kilo. Meanwhile, the country faces a paradox: it is the fifth global exporter of potatoes, but imports wheat to feed its population.
U.S.: Alfalfa in the Desert and the Colorado River Water
In California, the Imperial Valley —a desert area— produces 50% of the world’s alfalfa, destined to feed livestock. The Colorado River, which supplies seven states and Mexico, is on the brink of collapse: its flow decreases year after year due to dams and intensive crops.
Local farmer Trevor Tag defends flood irrigation —inherited from ancestral methods—, although he acknowledges that 80% of Colorado River water evaporates in the process. Environmental activist Jennifer Stoykovich warns: “One kilo of beef requires 15,000 liters of water, but we continue to externalize environmental costs in the face of the global water crisis.”
India: Between Water Conflicts and Ancestral Solutions
In Tamil Nadu, India, 60% of the water from the Caberí River is used to irrigate rice, a crop that consumes 3,000 liters per kilo. The conflict between states for water control has generated violence for decades. Facing this, environmentalist Vandana Shiva promotes seed banks with rice varieties that consume less water and organic farming techniques.
Activist Rajendra Singh has restored seven dry rivers in Rajasthan by building over 8,000 traditional dams, demonstrating that “simple science can restore natural cycles.”
Spain: Alfalfa for the World and Empty Reservoirs
The Ebro Valley in Aragon is the largest European producer of alfalfa, with exports to China and the United Arab Emirates. However, the river recorded its lowest level in a century in 2023.
Spanish engineer Ricardo Alió warns that modern irrigation systems, while efficient, expand cultivated areas and increase total water consumption.
Meanwhile, companies like Aldara (United Arab Emirates) extract thousands of liters for their plantations, exacerbating water stress in a region where 40% of water is allocated to forages.
Fragile Solutions and Community Resistance
In France, the demolition of dams in the Céleune River allowed the return of migratory species like salmon, reviving ecosystems. “Nature recovers quickly if we give it space,” says Roberto Epple, founder of the European Rivers Network.
In Egypt, the global water crisis with drip irrigation projects in oases use non-renewable fossil waters, but their exploitation by foreign companies —with military support— jeopardizes the future of local communities.
The paradox is clear: while agribusiness exports virtual water in the form of crops, millions face thirst and barren lands. The restoration of natural cycles, transparency in water management, and a global reconsideration of the human diet —less dependent on meat and dairy— emerge as the only ways to avoid an impending collapse.
