Irrigation inefficiency and water distribution losses as drivers of Kura River depletion and agricultural resource inefficiency in Azerbaijan

Abstract

The Kura River is a strategic water source for Azerbaijan, where irrigated agriculture depends heavily on reliable conveyance and efficient field application. This study integrates two independently prepared research works on Kura River depletion and agricultural water-use problems and places their observations within a resource-efficiency and green-economy framework. The source materials identify excessive irrigation withdrawals, leakage from aging distribution networks, widespread use of conventional surface irrigation, drainage and salinity problems, and weak coordination of water management as major drivers of water loss and agricultural vulnerability. A structured qualitative synthesis was combined with verification against recent World Bank, FAO, national policy and peer-reviewed sources. The World Bank’s 2024 water-security assessment estimates average irrigation water received at about 7.03 billion m³ per year against crop water consumption of about 2.33 billion m³, implying a potential national-level difference of around 67%, while overall irrigation-system efficiency was estimated at 37%. These figures support the central argument of the original research that losses occur both during conveyance and at farm level. Economically, such inefficiency raises the amount of water that must be abstracted and delivered, increases exposure to shortages, and can reduce farm productivity through poor timing, salinity and waterlogging. Modernized canals, metering, drip and sprinkler systems, improved drainage and allocation planning are therefore not only technical measures but green-economy investments in water productivity, agricultural resilience and natural-capital protection.