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China biofuel plans ‘will hit water supplies’

China and India's ambitious plans to increase biofuel production will deplete their water reserves and seriously impact their ability to meet food demands, says a new study.

China and India, expected to account for nearly 70% of global oil demand between now and 2030, are using cheaper biofuels derived from crops to help power their economies, the International Water Management Institute said.

"But to grow biofuel crops you need to use more water and land," AFP reported Charlotte de Fraiture, a lead author of the biofuels study, as saying.

India and China, which both have over one billion people, "suffer from water shortages which will only get worse as their food demand keeps pace with a growing population, their rising income and their diversifying diets."

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