Environmentalists strongly oppose shale-gas extraction due to fears that fracking may contaminate water supplies, the oil-sands industry because it is energy-intensive and dirty, and deep-water drilling because of the risk of oil spills like last year's Gulf of Mexico disaster.

WSJ: Big Oil Companies Are Shifting Their Focus Back to the West

Sugar cane, which is planted in the summer, is a water-intensive crop and farmers may shift to other crops temporarily, industry executives said.

WSJ: Drought to Hit Sugar Cane Output in Maharashtra

Intensive development of agriculture and industry may become a reason of deterioration of underground water in various regions in the absence of water-protective measures which can prevent its pollution.

UNESCO: OFFICE IN TASHKENT