Efficiency in management of water for agricultural work is superior in Spain than in OECD

According to a report published last day 16, - 9% of water was used per hectare of irrigated land during the periods 1990-92 and 2002-2004, in the country. However, this decline was lower, - 7% on average in the countries of the Organization for cooperation and economic development (OECD). Therefore, in Spain was used less water to irrigate an area for irrigation which grew by 12 per cent, to 3.78 million hectares. Meanwhile, in the 30 States members of the Organization, the increase was 8 per cent to achieve the 54,808 million hectares. This is confirmed the report of the OECD 'Sustainable management of water resources' in agriculture. With regard to the reductions in the volume of water per hectare of irrigated land, higher than the Spanish, include some countries where irrigation is part of the basis of agricultural production. For example, Australia with a decrease of 45% and an area of 2,49 million hectares of irrigated land in the year 2002. Or France, with 2.611 billion hectares and a water - 17% reduction. O - 12% of Mexico for a surface to 6,313 million hectares irrigated. Advances in efficiency of the use of water in other countries as United States, - 7% reduction, and 22,543 million hectares of irrigated land (+ 8%) were minor. Even, in some countries there were setbacks rather than progress. Something that has happened, especially in States that increased very significantly its irrigated area: Turkey raised by 33% in the period up to 5,215 million hectares, while the average consumption of water per hectare rose by 39%. This tendency to 'waste' of water, was also found in Greece, with an expansion of 24% of the surface for irrigation, to 1.48 million hectares, and 8% in the cost of water per hectare. Something similar, although to a lesser extent, succeeded in Canada: with 20% more on the surface of irrigated land and a 1% increase in relative water consumption.

During the 2002-2004 average, agriculture was 44 per cent of the water consumption in the OECD, with an increase of 1%, equivalent to other uses. The percentage was greater in countries where irrigation has much weight. For example, Greece (87%), Mexico (77%), Turkey (75%), Japan (66%), Spain (60%), Portugal (59%), New Zealand (57%) and Korea of the South (55%). In relative terms, the biggest increases in spending of water for agricultural purposes occurred in Turkey (84%), New Zealand (76%), Greece (33%), Korea of the South (14%), Spain (4%), United Kingdom (4%), France (3%) and Canada (3%). On the opposite side, reduced the use of water resources for agricultural tasks in the Czech Republic (- 75%), Slovakia (69%), Denmark (54%) and the Netherlands (- 50%).