The science of agriculture-driven nature loss (part 1): mapping drivers and impact of agricultural water management
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International Water Management Institute
CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes Program
CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes Program
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This report positions water as a critical entry point for understanding how modern agriculture drives biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Agriculture accounts for nearly 70% of global freshwater withdrawals, making the way water is captured, stored, and applied central to the health of rivers, wetlands, soils, and aquifers. Through a structured DPSI framework, the report maps how poor irrigation practices, groundwater over-abstraction, wetland drainage, and declining water quality generate cascading pressures on ecosystems. These pressures alter hydrological flows, intensify salinization and waterlogging, reduce soil microbial diversity, fragment habitats, and undermine ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, water purification, climate regulation, and habitat provisioning. By synthesizing cross-scale scientific evidence, the report highlights agricultural water management not only as a driver of nature loss but also as a strategic leverage point for enabling nature-positive, climate-resilient food systems.
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agricultural water management, biodiversity, ecosystem services, groundwater, irrigation water