Virtual Water as a Concept

Virtual Water as a Concept

Chan Ka NokMSc candidate in Sustainable Resources Management, Technische Universität München, Germany

What is Virtual Water?

Virtual Water

• Freshwater

• Origin

• Reference to product mass

• Virtual Water Content

Sources: deviantart.net

Examples

Sources:http://virtualwater.eu

Examples (cont’)

Sources:http://virtualwater.eu

Classification of Water Footprint

Green Water

• rainwater stored in the soil in form of soil moisture

sources: diacarbon.com

Blue Water

• surface water

• groundwater

sources: wallpaperscraft.com

Grey Water

• pollution related

• freshwater required to assimilate the load of pollutants

• based on existing ambient water quality standards (Hoekstra et al., 2011)

Sources: ed101.bu.edu

Virtual water trade balances of thirteen world regions 1995-1999

Source: Hoekstra AY. (ed) (2003)

Virtual water balance per country related to trade in agricultural

and industrial products1996-2005

Source: Mekonnen and Hoekstra (2011)

WF Accounting Approach

Water Footprint Assessment Manual

WF Accounting

1. setting goals and scope

2. accounting

3. assessing sustainability

4. formulating responses

Top-Down Approach

total use of water resources in the area

+

Net import of Gross virtual water

(import - export)

Sources: www.tradeandexportme.com

Bottom-up Approach

• ALL goods and services

• number of inhabitants

• respective water needs (Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012a)

Sources: tmemarketing.com

Top-down or Bottom-up?

WF Accounting Approach

Top-Down Approach

total use of water resources in the area

+

Net import of Gross virtual water

(import - export)

Sources: www.tradeandexportme.com

Bottom-up Approach

• ALL goods and services

• number of inhabitants

• respective water needs (Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012a)

Sources: tmemarketing.com

Current Problem

large product WFs in water-abundant areas

• Increase water productivities (reduce product WFs) in water-abundant areas traded internationally

• wise allocation of freshwater resources to alternative purposes (Hoekstra, 2011)

Solution? Like always

Sources: dailynewsegypt.com/

Policy Responses

• Reduction

• Efficiency

• Offsetting

• Water Neutral

• Water Footprint Cap

• Water Footprint Permits

• Water Labelling

Emission Reduction

• Market Potential

• Economic Potential

• Technical Potential

–John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”

Reference

• Ercin, A. Ertug; Hoekstra, Arjen Y. (2012): Carbon and water footprints. Concepts, methodologies and policy responses. Paris: UNESCO.

• Hoekstra AY. (ed) (2003) Virtual water trade: Proceedings of the International Expert Meeting on Vir- tual Water Trade, Delft, The Neth- erlands, 12-13 December 2002. Value of Water Research Report Series No.12, IHE, Delft, the Netherlands.

• Jones, J. A. A (2010): Water sustainability. A global perspective. London: Hodder Education.

• Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2011) National water footprint accounts: the green, blue and grey water footprint of production and consumption, Value of Water Research Report Series No.50, UNESCO-IHE.