Between 2000 and 2010, groundwater depletion caused by irrigation
increased 22 percent.
The most overexploited aquifers all show evidence of groundwater depletion from irrigation.
In drier countries like Kuwait, Iran and Saudi Arabia,
crops require extremely large amounts of groundwater-depleting irrigation to grow.
International trade moves these crops
between countries, so in some cases, the countries consuming the most
groundwater depletion-linked crops may have more water supplies, relatively speaking.
However, importers of groundwater depleting-crops
face a potential future supply risk,
as overexploited aquifers may not be able to continue providing water at current levels in the long-term.