One-Quarter of World’s Crops Threatened by Water Risks

A World Resources Institute (WRI) analysis reveals that 25% of global crops are grown in areas with highly stressed or unreliable water supplies. The report highlights the vulnerability of staple crops and the rapid depletion of water resources in the few countries that dominate irrigated crop production, while also noting the increasing instability of rainfed agriculture due to climate change.

• One-quarter of the world's crops are produced in regions where water supplies are either highly stressed, highly unreliable, or both. Staple crops—specifically rice, wheat, and corn—are particularly at risk, with 33% of these crops grown using water supplies that are highly variable or highly stressed.
• A small group of 10 countries—China, India, United States, Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand—account for 72% of global irrigated crops. Two-thirds of these crops are subject to high or extremely high water stress. Agriculture is the primary driver of water stress, accounting for 70% of global water withdrawals, and irrigation demand is projected to increase by 16% by 2050 compared to 2019 levels.
• Rainfed agriculture provides 66% of global crop production, including 75% of the world's corn, primarily in Brazil, China, and the United States. However, these systems are increasingly unstable; by 2050, 40% more rainfed crops will face unreliable water supplies than in 2020, with significant increases expected in China, Australia, India, the U.S., and Niger.
• India faces severe water security challenges, with approximately 24% of its total crop production (nearly 270 million metric tons) grown in watersheds that exceed their natural replenishment rates. In Northern India, groundwater levels drop by up to one foot annually due to irrigation pumping, and groundwater depletion is projected to triple by 2080 as temperatures rise.
• Niger is identified as the most vulnerable country globally for climate change-related impacts on food systems by the ND-Gain Index. Approximately 97% of its production is rainfed, and the country experiences an average of one drought every three years, contributing to chronic malnourishment in nearly half of its children.

APA

World Resources Institute (2024). One-Quarter of World’s Crops Threatened by Water Risks. https://www.wri.org/insights/growing-water-risks-food-crops

Chicago

World Resources Institute. One-Quarter of World’s Crops Threatened by Water Risks. 2024. https://www.wri.org/insights/growing-water-risks-food-crops.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=One-Quarter of World’s Crops Threatened by Water Risks |date=16 October 2024 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/growing-water-risks-food-crops |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2024onequarter, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{One-Quarter of World’s Crops Threatened by Water Risks}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/growing-water-risks-food-crops}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }