AKIPRESS.COM - Mongolia's water consumption stood at 645.1 million cubic meters in 2023, up by 6.4% from the previous year, Xinhua reports, citing the country's Water Authority.

Agriculture and mining sectors consumed the most in 2023, accounting for 41.2% and 32.3% of the total, the agency said in a statement on the occasion of the World Water Day on March 22. 13.6% of the water was used for household purposes, it said.

To mark the World Water Day, activities such as water-themed painting contest and academic conference on water resources policies and strategies are being organized across the country to raise public awareness of the importance of water and encourage the public to conserve water as much as possible.

Nearly 77% of Mongolia's total territory has been affected by desertification and land degradation as of 2022. More than 360 rivers, streams, lakes and springs in the country have dried up, according to the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism.