more than billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress the agriculture sector is by far the largest user of freshwater accounting for nearly per cent of global water withdrawals saving just a fraction of this would significantly alleviate water stress in other sectors particularly in arid countries where agriculture can consume as much as per cent of available water resources it would also strengthen economic development instead of constraining growth agricultural water savings can come in many forms such as increasing productivity of food crops more crop per drop improving water management practices and technologies implementing sustainable agricultural practices growing fewer waterintensive crops in waterscarce regions reducing food loss and waste and importing food grown from waterrich countries