The international character of water governance Arjen Y. Hoekstra University of Twente
Production Globalization of water Water consumption and pollution related to production for export; water is not factored into the price of traded commodities Consumption Water saving, but also water dependency TRADE Trade
Production chain cotton
[Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]
Water footprint of EU’s cotton consumption (blue water)
Former Aral Sea, Central Asia Cotton for export ► product labeling? ► an international water pricing protocol?
Water footprint of a 0.5 litre PET-bottle coke as produced in the Dongen factory, the Netherlands 0.44 litre water content 27.6 litre for sugar 5.3 litre for PET bottle and closure 3.0 litre for other ingredients & overheads ___________________ 36 litre total Water footprint of a Coke ► industry certification? ► water disclosure?
The total water footprint of a consumer in NL ► about 2% of the water footprint is at home. 26 litre/day (32% blue, 68% grey) ► about 98% of the water footprint is ‘invisible’, it is related to the products consumers buy in the supermarket litre/day for agricultural products 541 litre/day for industrial products ► about 95% of NL’s water footprint lies abroad. [Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011]
Global water footprint of Dutch consumption 95% of the water footprint is outside its own borders [Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011] soybean
Water footprint of national consumption [Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011] Global average water footprint ► global water footprint reduction targets? ► a Kyoto protocol for water?
National virtual water balances [Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011] ► WTO trade rules?
Annual average monthly blue water scarcity Number of months with blue water scarcity > 100% [Hoekstra & Mekonnen, 2011] ► an international water pricing protocol? ► minimum water rights?
Water footprint of biofuels from different crops [litre/litre] [Gerbens-Leenes, Hoekstra & Van der Meer, 2009] ► coherent energy- water strategies? Car driving on bio-ethanol from sugar beet: litre/km
► product labeling? ► certification of industries? ► water disclosure? ► global water footprint reduction targets? ► a Kyoto protocol on water? ► WTO trade rules? ► an international water pricing protocol? ► minimum water rights? ► coherent energy-water strategies? International water governance
The water footprint of a product Green water footprint ► volume of rainwater evaporated or incorporated into product. Blue water footprint ► volume of surface or groundwater evaporated, incorporated into product or returned to other catchment or the sea. Grey water footprint ► volume of polluted water.
Global water footprint by color [Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011]
Global water footprint by sector [Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011]
Consumption Export Production Import Internal water footprint External water footprint WF of national consumpt. Water use for export Virtual water import for re- export Virtual water export + + = = WF within nation Virtual water import ++ == Virtual water budget + += = National water use accounting framework The traditional statistics on water use, but then limited to withdrawals
Water footprint (Gm 3 /year) from the perspective of production from the perspective of consumption Egypt6995 Jordan Japan42175 Germany58117 Netherlands5.823 UK2975 China India Australia13745 Canada16172 USA [Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011] WF of national consumption WF within a nation Traditional statistics on water use, but then restricted to water withdrawal
Virtual water transfers in China 52 Gm 3 /yr [Ma et al., 2006; Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]
Virtual water flows India [Kampman et al., 2008]
[Hoekstra & Mekonnen, 2011] Blue water footprintBlue water availability Blue water scarcity