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

Estimation of the virtual water trade between two Spanish regions: Castilla-la Mancha and Murcia

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 831-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel De Miguel ◽  
Eloy García ◽  
Irene De Buestamante
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Water Transfer ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
International Context ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Spanish Regions ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Virtual Water Flow

Virtual water is defined as the water needed to produce a product. We can use virtual water flow calculations to estimate the water efficiency of a country, as well as its economic dependence on water resources. Former studies on this area have focused on quantifying the virtual water flows between countries, in an international context. In this study we reduce the action framework to regions within a country, determining the virtual water balance between two Spanish regions: Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia. In 2004, Castilla-La Mancha exported to Murcia 2,453,442 tons of commercial products, from which 1,191,628 tons were agricultural goods. In terms of virtual water, it means 1,365 hm3, including food-processing, and industrial products. It is necessary to add 350 hm3 to the result, because of the water transfer (Tajo-Segura transfer) between the rivers basins of these regions, so the final virtual water number, in 2004, was 1,715 hm3. The other way round, Murcia exported in 2004 2,069,000 tons of products, from which 490,351 tons were agricultural goods. That supposes 712 hm3 of virtual water. Virtual water flow is unbalanced and displaced towards Murcia with a difference of 1,003 hm3.

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 Water Performance Benchmarks for New Zealand: Understanding Water Consumption in Commercial Office Buildings

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lee Ellen Bint
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Target Market ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Performance Benchmarks ◽  
Tariff Structures

<p>There is an increasing amount of literature outlining the issues underlying water shortages and restrictions to come in most regions of New Zealand. The problem is not helped by rising demands and climatic changes, as well as both a lack of measured data, and a lack of any demand-side incentives. No attempt has been made to assess how the users of commercial buildings are consuming potable water. There are no benchmarks for water performance in buildings, hindering attempts to improve water efficiency.  This study investigated the water use in 93 Auckland and Wellington commercial office buildings. The data collected from both survey level water audits (on-site investigations, historic billing analysis) and full water audits (water monitoring), were used to develop market-based water performance benchmarks, and a Water Efficiency Rating Tool (WERT). This was done to understand water consumption in these buildings, and to determine the feasibility of using performance based data for the development of a water benchmarking system.  The principal results were in the form of both a benchmarking index system, and the WERT. The benchmarking study found that Net Lettable Area (NLA) was the most statistically and pragmatically appropriate driver for water use. lt also found that, due to the distinct difference in tariff structures and incentives between Auckland and Wellington, different benchmarks for the two regions (Auckland 'Typical' use 0.76m³ / m² / year, and Wellington 'Typical' use 1.03m³ / m² / year) were required.  The WERT calculates a building Water Use Index (WUI- m³ / m² / year) , estimates its end-use disaggregation, and provides recommendations through outlining the financial viability of implementing specific water efficiency measures. This tool utilised six design criteria to ensure target market usability: accuracy (demonstrated at ±8. 5%) ; relevance and realism; practicality; promotion of understanding and action; objectivity; and effective communication.  Further recommendations included satisfying some of the many knowledge gaps present in the New Zealand water industry concerning office building water use. These included: introducing a national legislative or standard document providing guidelines on demand-side management of water; investigation into changing tariff structures to include a volumetric charge for all building types to increase individual awareness and education of water use; research into the durability of water meters; and expanding the research to include other New Zealand regions.</p>

scholarly journals Water Resource Utilization and Livelihood Adaptations under the Background of Climate Change: A Case Study of Rural Households in the Koshi River Basin

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 5064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan ◽  
Song ◽  
Su ◽  
Peng ◽  
Khatiwada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
College Education ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Water Resource Utilization ◽  
Floods And Droughts

In the Koshi River Basin, the effects of climate change have become clear. Agricultural countries, such as Nepal, depend on farmers’ adaptations to climate change for local sustainable development. Limited livelihood options, unequal access to resources and information, and climate change-related floods and droughts have reduced farmer welfare. Few studies have investigated the effects of altitude in rural areas or examined livelihood adaptation strategies in Nepal. Using a survey of farmers in rural areas at high, middle, and low altitudes in Nepal, this article explores the impacts of climate change-related floods and droughts, as well as the water resource utilization, disaster resilience, and livelihood improvement ability of farmers and the influencing factors. This article adopted participatory rural appraisal to obtain survey data from farmers at three altitudes. Through one-way ANOVA and F-tests, farmers’ perceptions of floods and droughts were analyzed, and through field investigations, their production and water consumption patterns were established. Logistic regressions show that college education, farming income, and domestic water consumption have the strongest impacts on households’ disaster resilience, while non-farm income, male laborer rates, and college education have the strongest impacts on households’ abilities to improve livelihoods. Based on our results, we offer countermeasures and suggestions on education, gender equality, and rural infrastructure construction.

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.

Cleaner production to drive water efficiency

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-545
Author(s):  
Vanessa Lenihan
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Industrial Ecology ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Total Dissolved Solids ◽  
Cleaner Production ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
Production Program ◽  
Smart Water ◽  
Project Outcomes

South East Water Limited (SEWL) commenced the cleaner production program in 2006. The program has allowed SEWL to engage with industrial customers to reduce Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), colour and heavy metals. It has also had the benefit of reducing water consumption. The holistic approach to water saving projects has allowed a better understanding of the actual pay back on projects. In addition to this work, the Smart Water Fund commissioned a review of industrial ecology opportunities for Melbourne. This project was completed in 2008. The paper outlines the project outcomes and how it has been embedded in the cleaner production program at South East Water.

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.

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