Globalization of water

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Globalization of water
Derk Kuiper Executive Director Water Footprint
Network www.waterfootprint.org
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Globalization of Water
PRODUCTION of water-intensive goods
TRADE
TRADE
CONSUMPTION of water-intensive goods
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Globalization of Water
Consumers indirectly contribute to water
depletion and pollution elsewhere, without
covering the cost. Water-abundant regions have
other opportunities than water-scarce regions. Se
veral nations become increasingly dependent on
external water resources. Water is a geopolitical
resource. There is a growing need to harmonize
national water and trade policies.
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Overview Presentation
1. Virtual water and water footprint 2. From
concept to practice 3. What is next?
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Virtual water and water footprint
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The concept of virtual water
Virtual water is the water embodied in a
product, not in real sense, but in virtual sense.
It refers to the water needed for the production
of the product. Global trade in goods and
services brings along global trade in virtual
water
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? The Water Footprint of a product is the same as
its virtual water content, but includes a
temporal and spatial dimension when and where
was the water used.
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? The Water Footprint of a product is the volume
of fresh water used to produce the product,
summed over the various steps of the production
chain.
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? The Water Footprint consists of three
componentsBLUE wf GREEN wf GREY wf
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? Assessing the Water Footprint of a product
requires analysis of the full production chain.
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Production chain cotton
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The water footprint of products
global averages
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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? The Water Footprint is spatially explicit.
Example for cotton.
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2500 litres of water for 1 cotton shirt
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Water footprint of EUs cotton consumption blue
water
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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Water footprint of EUs cotton consumption green
water
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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Water footprint of EUs cotton consumption gray
water
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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Water footprint of EUs cotton consumption blue
water green water gray water
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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The water footprint making a link
between consumption in one place and impacts on
water systems elsewhere
Photo Gleick, 1993
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Water footprint of energy
Gerbens-Leenes, Hoekstra Van der Meer, 2008
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? The Water Footprint of a nation is the total
amount of water that is used to produce the goods
and services consumed by the inhabitants of the
nation.
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? Consumption is partly related to domestic
resource use, and partly to resource use outside
the country borders ? Internal External Water
Footprint.
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? National Water Footprint national water
use virtual water import virtual water
export
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Water footprint per capita
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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Water footprint per capita
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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below a threshold of 1500 m3/cap/yr, the demand
for cereal import increases exponentially with
decreasing water resources
Yang et al., 2003
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? Country Case Studies China, Netherlands
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Virtual water transfers in China
52 Gm3/yr
Ma et al., 2006 Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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Global water footprint of the Netherlands
82 of the Dutch water footprint is outside its
own borders
Hoekstra Chapagain, 2008
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Environmental Water Scarcity Index
Smakhtin, Revenga Doll, 2004
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The impact of the water footprint of the
Netherlands hotspots
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The impact of the water footprint of the
Netherlands hotspots
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? The Water Footprint of a business is the total
volume of freshwater that is used directly and
indirectly to run and support a business.
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Business Water Footprint Accounting
End use
Supply chain
Operational
grey
blue
green
Business Water Footprint
Relationship between footprint
and local availability in RB
determines IMPACT
Water availability in
Hydrological units
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What is next?
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Next...

• Engage stakeholders to apply WF accounting,
  impacts assessment and impact mitigation
• Establish Standardised methodology for WF
  accounting, impact assessment and responses
• Building strong partnerships between the Water
  Footprint Network, academia, business,
  government, NGO and water umbrella bodies
• Further the research agenda on WF accounting
  impacts and global to local (policy) responses
  like offsetting, public policy, water footprint
  offsetting, water credit markets etc

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Partner with us ... www.waterfootprint.org

• More pilots on WF accounting, impacts and impact
  mitigation
• Standardised methodology for WF accounting,
  impact assessment and responses
• Stimulating partnerships between Water Footprint
  Network and and others like CEO Water mandate,
  ISO others

Hoekstra, 2008