What is Water Footprint

Virtual water is the volume of water (green and/or blue) used to produce a good or service (Allan, 1993, 2003). Water Footprint is the total volume of water (green and blue) that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual or community (about 70% for food) (Hoekstra and Hung, 2002). When and where the water was used: a water footprint includes a temporal and spatial dimension.

The water footprint of a product

Green water footprint volume of rainwater evaporated or incorporated into product. Blue water footprint volume of surface or groundwater evaporated, incorporated into product or returned to other catchment or the sea.

Grey water footprint volume of polluted water.

Components of a water footprint

Direct water footprint

Indirect water footprint

Water consumption

Green water footprint Water withdrawal Return flow

Green water footprint

Blue water footprint

Blue water footprint

Water pollution

The traditional statistics on water use

Grey water footprint

Grey water footprint

[Hoekstra et al., 2011]

Water foot print various..

Global average water footprint: 70 litres for one apple (100 gms) One glass of apple juice (200 ml) costs about 190 litres of water Global average water footprint: 1300 litres of water for 1 kg of wheat Global average water footprint: 2700 litres for 1 cotton shirt. 1 kg of final cotton textile, one requires 11,000 litres of water

Water foot print various..

Global average water footprint: 3900 litres for 1 kg of chicken meat Global average water footprint: 15500 litres of water per kg of beef.

Water footprint of a consumer

the total volume of water appropriated for the production of the goods and services consumed.

equal to the sum of the water footprints of all goods and services consumed.
dimensions of a water footprint volume where and when type of water use: green, blue, grey

Water footprint of national consumption

total amount of water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the nation.

two components: internal water footprint inside the country. external water footprint in other countries.
water footprint of national consumption = water footprint within the nation + virtual water import virtual water export

National water use accounting framework

Internal water footprint + Water use for export = + + External water footprint +
Virtual water import for reexport

WF of national consumpt. +

Consumption

Virtual water export

Export

= = Virtual water budget

WF within nation

Virtual water import

Production

Import

The traditional statistics on water use, but then limited to withdrawals

Country/region

National water footprint (Gm3/year) from the perspective of production from the perspective of consumption 27 63 883 70 744 987 146 6.3

Australia Canada China Egypt EU25 India Japan Jordan

91 123 893 59 559 1013 54 1.8

USA
Traditional statistics on water use, but then restricted to water withdrawal

750
WF within a nation

696
WF of national consumption
[Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

Game-Four Countries

Country A Country B Country C Country D

Climate

Mediterran (Sub)tropic (Sub)tropica Temperate ean al wet l dry

Development status Developed Developed Developing Developing Water endowment Humid High Semi-arid Very High Humid Very low Semi-arid Low

Water productivity

Three Roles
Head of State, coordinating decisions but mostly interested in the national economy. Minister of Environment, responsible for allocating water in a sustainable manner. Minister of Trade & Foreign Affairs, responsible for negotiating with other countries and relation with other countries

Decisions to be taken
Allocate the available green water resources (broadly speaking rain water, technically evaporation flows) and blue water resources (ground/surface water flows) over the five sectors of economy and the environment. Decide, per sector, how the produced commodities are distributed over consumption and export. Exchange the exports for other commodities. Imported commodities are used for consumption

The Five Sectors

Food grains Vegetables & fruits Meat & dairy products Cotton Energy crops

What did we learn?

Global dimension of water trade in water-intensive products. Comparative advantage. Trans-border water footprint; reduce footprint through trade. National water self-sufficiency versus dependency. Conflict between different sectors. Conflict water for economy versus water for nature. Different water intensities of various commodities. Green versus blue water.

Water productivities (kg/m3)

Green water Food grains Country A 0.4 Country B 0.2 Country C 0.04 Country D not applicable

Vegetables &fruits
Meat & dairy products Cotton

0.5
0.01 not applicable

0.8
0.06 0.06

0.3
0.002 0.03

not applicable
0.01 not applicable

Energy crops
Blue water Food grains Vegetables &fruits Meat & dairy products Cotton

0.5
Country A 0.6 0.8 0.06 not applicable

0.3
Country B 0.3 5 0.03 0.1

0.15
Country C 0.06 0.3 0.003 0.03

not applicable
Country D 0.05 1.1 0.005 0.1

Energy crops

0.5

0.5

0.3

0.1

Comparative advantages
Green water
Food grains Vegetables &fruits Meat & dairy products Cotton Energy crops Blue water Food grains Vegetables &fruits

Country A
+ not applicable + Country A + -

Country B
+ Country B +

Country C
0 + + + Country C 0 -

Country D
not applicable not applicable + not applicable not applicable Country D +

Meat & dairy products Cotton

Energy crops

+ not applicable
-

0
+

+
-