The document provides an overview of water footprints, which measure direct and indirect water use for production processes and consumption. A water footprint accounts for water volume, source, location and time of use. It can be applied to products, consumers, communities and nations to identify water-intensive activities and assess sustainability. The three components are blue, green and grey water footprints. Water footprint assessments compare footprints to local water availability to evaluate environmental, social and economic impacts.
2. Water Footprint
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3. Water Footprint
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. Applications of Water Footprints
3. Components of Water Footprints
4. Virtual Water
5. Examples of Water Footprint
6. Are We Sustainable? Assessing the Water Footprint
7. References
3
4. Water Footprint
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What is a Water Footprint?
Water Footprint is a multi-dimensional indicator showing:
HOW MUCH (Volume) ...
WHEN (Time of the year e.g. dry season) ...
WHERE (Location)...
TYPE (Freshwater, rainwater, freshwater needed to dilute water
pollution to an acceptable level) ...
... of water is used for the production of a product over the whole
supply chain.
4
1. Introduction
5. Water Footprint
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Adding the indirect water footprints
When you consume the product you do not only consume the direct
water in the product but also the indirect water accumulated for
producing the product!
5
1. Introduction
Water Footprint in each stage of supply chain of
an animal product. Source: HOEKSTRA et al. (2011)
6. Water Footprint
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Why doing a Water Footprint? (1/5)
Water is renewable and a constant total amount of water is cycling
through the environment...
.... So, why do we bother making a Water Footprint?
6
1. Introduction
The water cycle Total amount of water on earth
is always constant. Source: http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/water-
cycle [Accessed: 22.10.2013]
7. Water Footprint
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Why doing a Water Footprint? (2/5)
For almost all human purposes freshwater is needed ...
7
1. Introduction
Human water uses. Source: MARTIN&CHRISTEY (2012)
Only about 0,01% of
global water
resources is directly
accessible freshwater!
Only a certain
amount of water
available for all these
uses at one moment!
8. Water Footprint
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Why doing a Water Footprint? (3/5)
Freshwater resources distribution is characterized by:
Strong regional differences
Annual and seasonal variation
8
1. Introduction
Freshwater scarcity differs between regions. Source: REKACEWICZ (2009)
9. Water Footprint
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Why doing a Water Footprint? (4/5)
... Due to the dependency and temporary limitation of freshwater a
water footprint can help:
Identify products that can be risky to produce at a certain location
and certain period of time due to water scarcity
Achieve a more sustainable and equitable use of freshwater
9
1. Introduction
10. Water Footprint
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Why doing a Water Footprint? (5/5)
10
1. Introduction
The impact of consumption of cotton products (e.g. T-shirts) in EU25 states on the freshwater
resources. About 84% of the water footprint is located outside Europe mainly in dry regions. Source:
CHAPAGAIN et al. (2006)
Unsustainable and
inequitable: The
water the EU25
(mostly water-rich
countries) cotton
consumption uses
comes mainly from
dry regions!
11. Water Footprint
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Water Footprints can be applied to a:
Process step
Product
Person/consumer
Community
Producer/business
Area
Nation
Humanity
11
2. Applications of Water Footprints
A process step is always the basis for the
calculations and the process steps are added
up respectively.
E.g. Water Footprint for a person
= sum of the water footprints of the
products that are consumed by a person; a
product water footprint is the sum of the
water footprints of all the process steps that
make up a product.
12. Water Footprint
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Process water footprints as a basis for other footprints
12
2. Applications of Water Footprints
Applications of water footprint. Process water footprints are the basic building blocks.
Source: HOEKSTRA et al. (2011)
13. Water Footprint
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The Global Water Footprint Standard (1/3)
Various standards for Water Footprints exist. Probably the most well-
known is the Global Water Footprint Standard.
It accounts for:
Direct and indirect water use
Water consumption and water pollution
Water footprint for freshwater (bluewater), rainwater (greenwater)
and freshwater required to dilute polluted water to an acceptable
quality (greywater)
Total water footprint is the sum of blue, green and greywater
consumption
13
3. Components of Water Footprints
14. Water Footprint
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The Global Water Footprint Standard (2/3)
No universally valid standard for Water Footprint exists.
Yet, an ISO standard 14046 is currently under development that
provides a norm for Water Footprints and how to integrate them into a
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).
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3. Components of Water Footprints
Steps of a life cycle
assessment. Source:
http://www.solidworks.com/sustainability/design/
2722_ENU_HTML.htm [Accessed: 23.20.2013]
15. Water Footprint
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The Global Water Footprint Standard (3/3)
15
3. Components of Water Footprints
Components of a water footprint. The non-consumptive part of water withdrawals (return flow) is
not part of the water footprint. Source: HOEKSTRA et al. (2011)
16. Water Footprint
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Blue water footprint
= Consumption of fresh surface or groundwater.
Taking into account water that:
Evaporates and transpires
Is incorporated into the product
Does not return to the same catchment area (but might return to the
sea or another catchment area)
Does not return in the same period (might be withdrawn in a dry
period and returned in a wet period)
16
3. Components of Water Footprints
Global blue water footprint of consumption.
Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/WaterStat [Accessed:
22.10.2013]
17. Water Footprint
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Green water footprint
= Consumption of water that refers to precipitation on land that does
not run off or recharge the groundwater but is stored in soil ore
temporarily stays on top of the soil or vegetation.
Taking into account water that:
Evaporates and transpires from fields and plantations
Is incorporated into the harvested crop or wood
17
3. Components of Water Footprints
Global green water footprint of consumption.
Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/WaterStat [Accessed:
22.10.2013]
18. Water Footprint
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Grey water footprint
= Consumption of freshwater that is required to assimilate the load of
pollutants based on natural background concentrations and existing
ambient water quality standards.
18
3. Components of Water Footprints
Global grey water footprint of consumption.
Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/WaterStat [Accessed:
22.10.2013]
19. Water Footprint
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Differences between Virtual Water and the Water Footprint
19
4. Virtual Water
Virtual Water Water Footprint
Application Products only Products, Consumer, Producer,
Nation, Humanity, etc.
Dimensions - Volume of
consumed water
- Volume of consumed water
- Type of consumed water (blue,
green, grey)
- Location of water source
- Time of water withdrawal
20. Water Footprint
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Products
20
5. Examples of Water Footprint
Product global water footprint and the share of green, blue and greywater.
Source: www.waterfootprint.org [Accessed: 22.10.2013]
Animal products
generally have a
larger water footprint
than crop products.
Primarily, because
animals need more
time to grown and
need to be fed: 98%
of animals water
footprint is due to
feed.
21. Water Footprint
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National Water Footprint (1/2)
21
5. Examples of Water Footprint
National total water footprint of consumption. Source: MEKONNEN & HOEKSTRA (2011)
22. Water Footprint
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National Water Footprint (2/2)
22
5. Examples of Water Footprint
Consumption of agricultural products largely determines the global
water footprint related to consumption (MEKONNEN & HOEKSTRA
2011):
Agricultural products: 92%
Industrial products: 4,7%
Domestic water use: 3,8%
Differences in water footprints vary primarily due to differences in
consumption patterns:
High bovine meat consumption (highly water intensive production)
leads to higher national water footprint.
23. Water Footprint
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National Water Footprint - Importance
23
5. Examples of Water Footprint
Traditionally, National Water Plan looks only at water used within a
nation saving national water by importing water through products
produced in other countries:
Water saved in own country, but neglecting that national
consumption might be unsustainable on a global level
National Water Footprint shows imported water, too:
Formulating policies that protect the worlds scarce freshwater
sources, too
24. Water Footprint
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Water Footprint Assessment (1/3)
24
6. Are We Sustainable? Assessing the Water Footprint
Water Footprint by itself does NOT provide information about whether
the activity or product is sustainable or not!
Water Footprint Assessment
assesses whether the water consumption of a
product/person/nation etc. is sustainable.
The Water Footprint Assessment Manual by the Water
Footprint Network. Source: HOESTRA et al. (2011)
25. Water Footprint
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Water Footprint Assessment (2/3)
25
6. Are We Sustainable? Assessing the Water Footprint
Environmental sustainability:
Compare water footprint with availability of water in the
affected water bodies at the location and time of withdrawal.
Water Risk Maps (including filters for season and different water
sources/quality and quantity) are open source available online:
Source: http://aqueduct.wri.org/atlas
26. Water Footprint
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Water Footprint Assessment (3/3)
26
6. Are We Sustainable? Assessing the Water Footprint
Next to environmental impact, also social (basic human needs in the
catchment areas and fairness) and economic (price of water versus its
real economic costs) impact are assessed.
Response strategies can be formulated to directly target activities
that lead to water scarcity and pollution
Improve water source protection and sustainability of water use
Water use should be bearable,
equitable and viable. Source:
http://www.sustainability.umd.edu/content/about/what_is_susta
inability.php [Accessed: 22.10.2013]
27. Water Footprint
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HOEKSTRA, A.Y.; CHAPAGAIN, A.K.; ALDAYA, M.M.; MEKONNEN, M.M. (2011): The Water Footprint
Assessment Manual. Setting the Global Standard. London/Washington: Earthscan. URL:
http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/Publications [Accessed: 22.10.2013]
MARTIN, R. A., CHRISTEY, S.M. (2012): The Software Industrys Clean Water Act Alternative.
Washington: IEEE Computer Society. URL:
http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/sp/2012/03/msp2012030024-abs.html [Accessed: 22.10.2013]
CHAPAGAIN, A.K., HOEKSTRA, A.Y., SAVENIJE, H.H.G. AND GAUTAM, R. (2006): The water footprint of
cotton consumption. An assessment of the impact of worldwide consumption of cotton products on
the water resources in the cotton producing countries. Ecological Economics Vol. 60, 186-203.
Philadelphia: Elsevier. URL: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/Cotton [Accessed:
22.10.2013]
MEKONNEN, M.M.; HOEKSTRA, A.Y. (2011): National Water Footprint Accounts. The Green, Blue and
Grey Water Footprint of Production and Consumption. Delft: United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization-Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE). URL:
http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/Publications [Accessed: 22.10.2013]
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7. References
28. Water Footprint 28
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