Geographic Water Footprint Assessment for Sustainable Water Management
Ruth Mathews Executive Director Water Footprint Network Latin America Water Week Vina del Mar, Chile 25 March 2015
from awareness to action www.waterfootprint.org
Sustainable water management
aims of sustainable water management
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The
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The methods for assessing sustainable water management
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The mechanisms for implementing sustainable water management
Aims of sustainable water management
Using water within ecological limits: environmental sustainability
Maximizing the benefits from water use: resource efficiency
Sharing water fairly: equitable allocation of water resources
What is the water footprint? The ‘water footprint’ is a measure of human’s appropriation of freshwater resources. ► Water footprint is a measurement of the volume of water consumed (evaporated or otherwise not returned) or assimilation capacity used. ► The water footprint is a geographically & temporally explicit indicator. ► The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct & indirect water use of a consumer or producer. ► A water footprint can be calculated for a process, a product, a consumer, group of consumers (e.g. municipality, province, state or nation) or a producer (e.g. a private enterprise, public organization). [Hoekstra et al., 2011]
Water footprint components Green water footprint ► volume of rainwater evaporated or incorporated into product Blue water footprint ► volume of surface or groundwater evaporated or incorporated into product, lost return flow Grey water footprint ► volume of water needed to assimilate pollutants [Hoekstra et al., 2011]
Water Footprint Assessment Setting goals and scope
Water footprint accounting
Water footprint sustainability assessment
Water footprint response formulation
•Understand the geographic and temporal allocation of water resources for industry, agriculture and domestic water supply •Assess the sustainability, efficiency and equitability of water use: consumption & pollution •Identify the most strategic actions to be taken in local, regional, national and global scales, individually and collectively
Sustainable water management: blue water footprint LAC
[Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Sustainable water management: blue water scarcity LAC
[Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Sustainable water management: grey water footprint LAC
[Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Sustainable water management: water pollution levels LAC
[Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Sustainable water management: green water footprint LAC
[Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Sustainable water management: land and green water resources
[Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Sustainable water management: resource efficiency LAC
Water savings of 37% are possible with increased water productivity in LAC [Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Sustainable water management: virtual water LAC
[Mekonnen et al. 2015]
Mechanisms for sustainable water management
Cause
Effect
Economic development Trade policy Agriculture policy
Water regulations/ policy Energy policy
Water scarcity
WFA Water pollution
www.waterfootprint.org
Mechanisms for achieving sustainable water management Environmental Sustainability
Maximum Sustainable Limits Water footprint allocation amongst all users What is the cumulative impact of water use?
Fair Sharing
Equitable Allocation Water footprint allocation between users/ consumers Who is using water/ consuming products?
Economic Efficiency
Resource Efficient Benchmarks Water footprint allocation for specific users How efficiently is water being used?
Sustainable water management: companies
Sustainable water management: strategic action NO
Is WF in a hotspot?
WF exceed benchmark?
NO YES
Not a priority
YES
Collective action to reduce basin WF
Large share of basin WF?
YES
Collective action within sector
NO
Collective action with other sectors
YES Is WF in a hotspot?
NO
Reduce WF through improved practices & technologies
Water Footprint Network
Fair and smart water use of the world’s freshwater •INSPIRING ACTION by companies, governments and individuals towards sustainable, efficient and equitable water use •BUILDING COMMUNITY to escalate change in river basins •SHARING KNOWLEDGE and training practitioners to solve the world’s water crises
Thank you
ruth.mathews@waterfootprint.org www.waterfootprint.org
fair and smart use of the world’s fresh water