Impact of Hemp on Water Conservation and Climate Resilience

Water crisis is real, and it’s happening right now, impacting billions of people globally.

Did you know that an alarming 1.8 billion people are expected to live in regions with extreme water scarcity? Almost 40% of the world population experiences water shortage, at least once a year.

In 2015, a NASA report based on satellite imagery revealed that 21 of the world’s 37 large aquifers don’t have enough water. Relations between 50 countries across three continents are strained, only due to the water scarcity.

Some reports suggest that World War 3, if it happens, would be due to water scarcity.

This is a catastrophic issue, requiring urgent attention: the Primary reasons being climate change, urbanization, and unsustainable agricultural practices. We urgently need out-of-the-box solutions, and we need them right now.

Enter hemp, a crop that has the potential to alter this equation, and help us to conserve water, and create a pathway to climate resilience.

But how?

In this blog, we will delve deep into the role of hemp in water conservation initiatives, and the multi-layered benefits offered by this crop in not only promoting water conservation, but enhancing our capabilities to adapt to climate change.

Hemp’s Powerful Role In Water Conservation

So, where is most of the water used?

It’s agriculture.

The world’s 70% of fresh, drinkable water is consumed for growing crops, which feed humanity. So, it’s an essential component in the food chain, totally unavoidable.

At the same time, 3 billion people across the world face extreme water shortage for at least 30 days every year, disrupting their lives and productivity.

The solution is sustainable agriculture practices that consume less water, without impacting the production of food, so that billions of people don’t have to face water scarcity.

If we talk about crops, then cotton and rice are the ones that consume the maximum amount of water, with maximum contribution to the depletion of vital water resources. Around 10,000 litres of water is needed to produce 1 kg of cotton, and between 2500 to 5000 litres of water to produce one kg of rice!

Less Water, More Production

It is here that the role of hemp in conserving water comes into play.

Compared to cotton’s 10,000 litres of water requirement, hemp only needs 300-500 litres of water for 1kg of fiber production, which is 94% less water needed for the same output.

This proves that we all need more and more hemp, and we need to replace cotton to save a tremendous amount of water.

Isn’t this astonishing?

Resilience To Drought

Even if the farmer fails to procure water, hemp will find a way to grow and thrive, because of its amazing resilience to dry conditions.

Studies done in Kazakhstan, an extremely dry country, found that hemp required only 353 mm of water per growing season, and produced upto 10 tonnes per hectare.

No other crop can sustain such dry weather conditions and still have zero impact on yields.

Enhancing Soil Health & Water Retention

Hemp’s root system has an extraordinary property of reaching upto 9 feet underground, which allows the plant to access groundwater and reduce surface irrigation needs.

This means, less water is required on the surface, thereby conserving water on a massive scale, and at the same time, retaining and improving soil condition by its ability to retain moisture.

Case Study: Hemp Fabric Can Alone Solve the World’s Water Problem

Around 2 billion cotton t-shirts are sold every year, globally.

Now, if we replace cotton with hemp for these 2 billion t-shirts, we can save 4.7 trillion litres of water every year, which is enough to:

• Provide daily drinking water for 6.5 billion people for a year (based on WHO’s 2 liters/day/person).

• Refill 1.9 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

• Irrigate 1.2 million hectares of farmland annually.

And this, we are talking only about cotton t-shirts.

Globally, around 25 million tonnes of cotton are produced. Possibilities are indeed endless if we start replacing cotton with hemp for fabric and other applications.

Climate Resilience Through Carbon Sequestration

Definition: Carbon sequestration refers to the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere to mitigate climate change, either through natural processes like plant growth or through engineered solutions like underground storage.

Among other astonishing properties of hemp, the most striking is its ability to sequestrate and absorb carbon.

Hemp Is The Carbon Sink

As per studies, it has been revealed that the hemp plant can capture between 8-15 tons of CO2 per hectare during its growth cycle, which is about 90-120 days.

Such a swift growth cycle means more hemp, and more carbon capture, thereby protecting our environment and creating a Greener Earth.

Carbon-Neutral Production Practices

As per research published in Frontiers in Environmental Science, it has been proven that cultivating and harvesting hemp can result in a net-negative carbon balance when the residues are repurposed in an optimized manner.

Thus, while hemp can absorb more carbon while growing, it also contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions when managed optimally.

Hemp: Protector Of Soil & Biodiversity

Hemp is the true MVP, because not only does it help in conserving water, reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, but it also prevents soil erosion, and boosts organic content in soil by upto 30% via crop rotation practices.

In turn, such healthy soil retains more moisture, contributing to more yield per hectare.

This is why hemp is called the regenerative plant: It can absorb carbon and nitrogen from the air, and push them back into the soil, thereby regenerating soil and making it even more productive with additional nutrients.

Phytoremediation Potential

Lastly, hemp has an amazing ability to absorb heavy metals, toxins, and other harmful elements from the soil, making it clean via the Phytoremediation process. In some use cases, hemp is only used to restore degraded land, while simultaneously producing valuable biomass.

Economic and Social Benefits Of Hemp

Cultivating and producing hemp presents a transformative opportunity for farmers, triggering their social and economic development.

HempFoundation is spearheading one such movement in India, by promoting sustainable practices, creating jobs, empowering rural communities, and reducing reliance on traditional crops.

Let’s find out how?

Reduced Input Costs

Since hemp has a natural resistance to pests, farmers are able to save upto 70% in costs by not using pesticides, thereby not only saving money, but also producing healthier crops.

Market Growth Potential

The global industrial hemp market is projected to reach approximately $19.7 billion by 2025, driven by increasing demand for sustainable textiles, bioplastics, towels, clothes and CBD products.

In India alone, the market value for hemp could grow from around $97 million in 2022 to $417 million by 2030, creating rural jobs and supporting local economies.

Challenges and Solutions Ahead

The benefits and advantages of cultivating hemp have been shown, proven, and experienced, but still, challenges persist in its mass-scale adoption, especially in India. Some of the biggest challenges include:

Regulatory Hurdles For Harvesting Hemp

Worldwide, including in India, the hemp industry is facing complex regulatory challenges and inconsistent rules. It includes variations in the definition of hemp and marijuana, the rules on THC limits, and the licensing protocols for producing industrial hemp.

This is creating confusion among farmers and sellers, and stopping us from fully unleashing the potential of hemp.

Public Perception and Stigma

Now, we need a shift in the mindset, created by years of propaganda against the usage of hemp, especially due to the intoxicating effects of marijuana.

This is the reason that hemp continues to be stigmatized due to its association with marijuana, despite its non-psychoactive nature. This misunderstanding is stopping brands and manufacturers from getting associated with hemp-related products, discouraging farmers from growing it.

Limited Research and Development

The hemp industry needs more research, more studies, and statistics to truly understand the potential and the possibilities for maximum output.

There are insufficient studies on the hemp’s applications, cultivation techniques, and environmental benefits, which translates to half-baked business ideas and incorrect farming techniques.

Conclusion: Hemp Can Solve Water Crisis, But We Need Efforts

Amidst the global water crisis and climate change, hemp is the beacon of hope and possibilities. As mentioned in the case study, if all t-shirts in the world were created using hemp, more than 4 trillion litres of water could be saved.

If more and more hemp is produced by farmers, not only will the soil get enriched, but also the overall productivity shall increase, a regenerative agriculture practice can be implemented, and greenhouse gas emissions can be eliminated.

Hemp can absorb more carbon than any other plant, improve the income potential of farmers, and create a new, exciting market that makes this Earth a better place to live.

By investing in hemp cultivation and supporting policies that promote its use, we can pave the way toward a more resilient future—one where both our ecosystems and communities thrive amidst the challenges ahead.

The time to act is now; embracing hemp could be our best chance at ensuring a sustainable planet for generations to come.