scholarly journals Efficiency, Equity and Effect: Virtual Water Consumption Characters and Sustainable Consumption on Diet

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-287
Author(s):  
Shang Hai-Yang
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Virtual Water

Estimation of virtual water consumption structure and water efficiency in cities and rural areas of Xinjiang

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui SU ◽  
Ya-Ning CHEN ◽  
Yan ZHANG ◽  
Wei-Hong LI ◽  
Chao LENG
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
Consumption Structure

scholarly journals Agro-economic and socio-environmental assessments of food and virtual water trades of Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Karandish ◽  
Hamideh Nouri ◽  
Marcela Brugnach
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Water Crisis ◽  
Food Trade ◽  
Water Limitations

AbstractEnding hunger and ensuring food security are among targets of 2030’s SDGs. While food trade and the embedded (virtual) water (VW) may improve food availability and accessibility for more people all year round, the sustainability and efficiency of food and VW trade needs to be revisited. In this research, we assess the sustainability and efficiency of food and VW trades under two food security scenarios for Iran, a country suffering from an escalating water crisis. These scenarios are (1) Individual Crop Food Security (ICFS), which restricts calorie fulfillment from individual crops and (2) Crop Category Food Security (CCFS), which promotes “eating local” by suggesting food substitution within the crop category. To this end, we simulate the water footprint and VW trades of 27 major crops, within 8 crop categories, in 30 provinces of Iran (2005–2015). We investigate the impacts of these two scenarios on (a) provincial food security (FSp) and exports; (b) sustainable and efficient blue water consumption, and (c) blue VW export. We then test the correlation between agro-economic and socio-environmental indicators and provincial food security. Our results show that most provinces were threatened by unsustainable and inefficient blue water consumption for crop production, particularly in the summertime. This water mismanagement results in 14.41 and 8.45 billion m3 y−1 unsustainable and inefficient blue VW exports under ICFS. “Eating local” improves the FSp value by up to 210% which lessens the unsustainable and inefficient blue VW export from hotspots. As illustrated in the graphical abstract, the FSp value strongly correlates with different agro-economic and socio-environmental indicators, but in different ways. Our findings promote “eating local” besides improving agro-economic and socio-environmental conditions to take transformative steps toward eradicating food insecurity not only in Iran but also in other countries facing water limitations.

scholarly journals Direct and indirect water use within the Australian economy

Water Policy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1227-1239
Author(s):  
Beatriz Reutter ◽  
Paul A. Lant ◽  
Joe L. Lane
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
State Level ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Australian Economy ◽  
Australian Bureau Of Statistics

Abstract We present the first analysis of water use in the Australian economy to account for inter-state trade, exports and consumption patterns, across all economic sectors and incorporating a temporal analysis. This is achieved by using the environmentally extended input-output technique, combining state-level input-output and water accounts from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Results show that the three big eastern economies (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland) rely mostly on water used within their jurisdictions. Approximately one-third of water consumption is for exported commodities, with the biggest export flows of virtual water being associated with agricultural production. Comparing results across the years (2000–2011), the water consumption associated with the provision of goods and services has decreased by 32% for exports, and by 38% for domestic markets. To date in Australia, the focus for improved trans-boundary water management (within Australia) has been on improved mechanisms for sharing physical allocation of water; these results provide the trans-boundary economic dependencies related to water availability. Recent innovations in the compilation of economic input-output models create an opportunity to progress this analysis, exploring in detail the economy–water interlinkages. It is our intention that the paper shows the value of analysing water flows using the multi-regional input-output techniques.

scholarly journals Assessment of Inter-Sectoral Virtual Water Reallocation and Linkages in the Northern Tianshan Mountains, China

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2363
Author(s):  
Dedao Gao ◽  
Aihua Long ◽  
Jiawen Yu ◽  
Helian Xu ◽  
Shoujuan Su ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Tianshan Mountains ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Economic Sector ◽  
Primary Industry ◽  
Northern Tianshan ◽  
The Government

Quantitative analysis of the reallocation and linkages of virtual water in the economic sector was important for the integrated water resources management in inland arid regions. Taking the northern Tianshan Mountains (NTM) as an example, we applied the environmental input-output model to design the accounting framework for the reallocation of blue and green virtual water (VW) in the economic sector and analyzed the correlation effect of VW reallocation among various sectors by backward and forward linkages in economic analysis. The results showed that the direct blue and green water consumption of primary industry respectively accounted for 99.2% and 100% of the total water consumption in NTM. Planting sector had the largest amount of VW outflow among all sectors. Animal husbandry, forestry and construction had a large pulling effect on VW outflow of planting sector, while planting sector and animal husbandry were the main sectors for VW export of blue and green water. We suggest that the government can increase the import of blue-green VW for agricultural raw materials through VW trade and develop industries such as service and electricity that have less pulling effect on the primary industry VW, so as to improve the economic added value of VW in the primary industry and reduce the loss of VW in primary industry production and trade flows in future water management.

Spatiotemporal variations of water resources metabolism efficiency in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1178-1188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihong Meng ◽  
Dewei Yang ◽  
Zhiyong Ding ◽  
Yuandong Wang ◽  
Weijing Ma
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Material Flow Analysis ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Metabolic Efficiency ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variations ◽  
Driving Mechanisms ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Bth Region

Abstract Intensive and extensive water consumption and its potential negative impacts are increasingly challenging regional development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH). It is necessary to enhance the metabolic efficiency of both physical and virtual water, and the latter is often neglected in research and practical fields. The material flow analysis method was employed in evaluating spatiotemporal variations of the Water Resources Metabolism Efficiency (WME) for exploring the inherent driving mechanisms in the BTH region. Results indicate that the WME increased obviously and differently in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, as well as in the whole BTH region from 1990 to 2015. The changes in WME depend significantly on the improvement in society and economics. Water production and water consumption are crucial for the integrated metabolic efficiency of physical and virtual water, followed by other influencing factors, i.e., freshwater recycling use ratio (Rfw), total retail amount of commodities of unit water use (Cw), and industrial output value per cubic metre of water resources (Uio). The results could provide alternative references for efficient and effective utilization of water resources within and beyond similar cities.

Non-negligible regional differences in the driving forces of crop-related water footprint and virtual water flows: a case study for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Li ◽  
La Zhuo ◽  
Pute Wu
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Bth Region

<p>Water scarcity is a significant risk for meeting increasing food demand around the world. The importance of identifying the driving forces behind water consumption in agriculture and relative virtual water (VW) flows has been widely reported in order to provide practical advice for sustainable agricultural water resource management. However, the regional differences in the driving forces behind either water consumption or VW flows were largely ignored. To fill the crucial gap, taking nine major crops grown in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China over 2000-2013 as the study case, we investigate the regional differences in socio-economic driving forces on both the estimated water footprint (WF) in crop production and relative inter-city VW flows for each crop per year. Results show that although there is little change in total WFs in crop production (~43.3 billion m<sup>3</sup>/y on annual average), the WF per unit mass of crop decreased and the crop structure in the total WFs changed greatly. The BTH region was a VW importer with net VW import of 11.7 billion m<sup>3</sup>/y by 2013. The per capita GDP was the main positive driver of both total WFs of crop production and relative VW flows. Whereas the economic productivity and consumption ability were inhibiting factors for the WFs and VW flows, respectively. The levels of total crop WFs in agricultural cities were more sensitive to the effects of the main driving factors. The intensity of driving factors behind the inter-regional crop-related VW flows was shown to be directly related to the regional role as an importer or exporter. The current analysis suggests to develop characteristic agriculture considering the local role and regional differences in terms of water consumption and relative inter-regional VW flows, aiming for a balance between water sustainability, food security and economic developments.</p>

Agricultural infrastructure: the forgotten key driving force on crop-related water footprints and virtual water flows in developing countries: a case for China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongrong Huang ◽  
La Zhuo ◽  
Pute Wu
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
High Water ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Water Flows

<p>Agricultural infrastructure plays important roles in boosting food production and trade system in developing countries, while as being a ‘grey solutions’, generates increasingly risks on the environmental sustainability. There is little information on impacts of agricultural infrastructure developments on water consumption and flows, (i.e. water footprint and virtual water flows) related to crop production, consumption and trade especially in developing countries with high water risk. Here we, taking mainland China over 2000-2017 as the study case, identified and evaluated the strengths and spatial heterogeneities in main socio-economic driving factors of provincial water footprints and inter-provincial virtual water flows related to three staple crops (rice, wheat and maize). For the first time, we consider irrigation (II), electricity (EI) and road infrastructures (RI) in the driving factor analysis through the extended STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology) model. Results show that the II, EI and RI in China were expanded by 33.8 times, 4.5 times and 2.4 times, respectively by year 2017 compared to 2000. Although the II was the most critical driver to effectively reduce the per unit water footprint, especially the blue water footprint in crop production (i.e., increasing water efficiency), the developments of II led to the bigger total water consumption. Such phenomenon was observed in Jing-Jin region, North Coast and Northwest China with water resource shortage. The EI and RI had increasing effects on provincial virtual water export, and the corresponding driving strengths varied across spaces. Obviously, the visible effects from the agricultural infrastructures on regional water consumption, water productivity and virtual water patterns cannot be neglected. </p>

Agricultural water consumption and crop prices

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetta Falsetti ◽  
Elena Vallino ◽  
Luca Ridolfi ◽  
Francesco Laio
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Pricing Policy ◽  
Stress Indicator ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Cultivation Process

<p>Most human activities depend on water. Agriculture alone consumes 70% of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide.  In cases when such withdrawal overcome sustainability levels, water scarcity represents a growing threat to food security. In this framework, there has been an enduring debate on the opportunity of assigning an economic value to water. Some studies argue that water resources would be more efficiently allocated if they had a price that reflects their scarcity and that a pricing policy would also provide incentives for more sustainable consumption. Building on these considerations, in this work we investigate whether the water consumption in agricultural production is reflected in crop prices. </p><p>In this research, we focus specifically on the production of agricultural primary goods to understand whether water consumption is taken into consideration in the prices associated with these products on the global market. We consider the water component also in terms of water availability per capita at the country level (Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator). Aware of the fact that water and land are usually regarded as a single entity, we analyze if the water, isolated from this relation, still has an impact.</p><p>We select twelve representative crops analyzing their farm gate prices from 1991 to 2016, collecting data regarding 162 countries in total. We identify two different behaviors: staple crops (e.g. wheat, maize, soybeans, and potatoes) tend to incorporate in their prices the amount of water employed during the cultivation process. Differently, cash crops (e.g. coffee, cocoa beans, tea, vanilla), which are not crucial in human diets and mainly produced for exportation purposes, show a weaker relationship between water footprint and prices on the global market. These variations may be ascribable to specific market dynamics related to the two product groups. While there could be different elements influencing the behavior of these two macro-categories of crops, it is important to understand how water is related to crop prices to purse more efficient practices in water allocation and governance management, improving environmental sustainability in this field.</p>

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