Global Cotton Crisis: Water-Intensive Crop Under Pressure From Climate Change

Cotton accounts for 2.5% of global cultivated land but consumes 16% of insecticides and enormous water. It takes 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton t-shirt. Climate change is disrupting cotton production: droughts in Texas, floods in Pakistan, and heatwaves in India. Major cotton-producing regions face 30-40% yield declines by 2050. Alternative fibers (hemp uses 50% less water, recycled cotton uses 99% less water) are growing but still represent <1% of global textile production. The $1.3 trillion fashion industry must adapt to a water-constrained future.