The paper tackles the issues related to generation and distribution of surface water in the Aral Sea basin among the Central Asian (CA) countries, as well as agricultural water use in the region, using the information on irrigated area, unit agricultural water use, etc. The author also shows data on unit agricultural water use in other countries and regions all over the world. The data indicate that the wide spread opinion about water wastage in the CA countries does not reflect reality. It is demonstrated that statements of a number of experts about low performance factor of regional irrigation systems are in opposition to the facts.  For example, China that is considered the country with good farming practices has the average performance factor of irrigation systems equaling 0.5, whereas in the CA countries the performance factor appears to be within 0.5-0.65, otherwise crops would not survive from the point of their physiological water needs. The average performance factor of irrigation systems is 0.37 (37 %) on a global scale. Hence, the Central Asian countries are not ‘outsiders’ in terms of unit agricultural water use and irrigation system performance factor; however, this does not mean that there is no ways for improvement of agricultural water use and management in the CA countries. 

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