1. Water Footprint Assessment: optimizing water use for social, environmental & economic benefits The Water We Eat Brussels, Belgium 13 April 2011

2. Mission ~ Promoting sustainable, equitable and efficient water use through: 1. Developing standards for WF assessment; 2. Facilitating R&D related to the WF concept; 3. Promoting WF knowledge exchange & dissemination; 4. Developing WF assessment practical tools; and 5. Supporting organisations in applying a WF assessment and developing a sustainable and fair water policy The Water Footprint Network

3. 143 partners from 34 countries: bringing together expertise from academia, businesses, investment banks, civil society, governments and international organisations. Founding partners: WWF International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) Netherlands Water Partnership UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education University of Twente Water Neutral Foundation World Business Council for Sustainable Development Water footprint network

4. GLOBAL WATER FOOTPRINT STANDARD “Forty years down the road we will have 9 billion humans living on the Earth. Nearly fifty per cent more than what we have today. The impact of any activity, be it economic or social, will have an unprecedented print on water. It is, therefore, critical that policy makers and the public, let alone the political community, are aware of what the water footprint is, how it is established and how it does evolve in time and space.” Professor A. Szollosi-Nagy, Rector, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

5. ► The WF is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer. ► Water use is measured in terms of water volumes consumed (evaporated or otherwise not returned) or polluted per unit of time. ► The water footprint is a geographically and temporally explicit indicator, not only showing volumes of water consumption and pollution, but also the locations. ► 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 public organization, private enterprise). The water footprint concept

6. Operational water footprint the direct water use by the producer – for producing, manufacturing or for supporting activities. Supply-chain water footprint the indirect water use in the producer’s supply chain. Direct & indirect water footprint

7. Green water footprint ► volume of rainwater evaporated. Blue water footprint ► volume of surface or groundwater evaporated. Grey water footprint ► volume of polluted water. Three water footprints

8. Direct water footprint Indirect water footprint Green water footprint Blue water footprint Grey water footprint Water consumption Water pollution [Hoekstra et al., 2011] Return flow Water withdrawal The traditional statistics on water use Components of a water footprint

9. The water footprint of a consumer Indirect WFDirect WF blue water use grey water Farmer Retailer Food processer Virtual water flow Virtual water flow Virtual water flow green and blue water use blue water use grey water grey water Consumer blue water use grey water [Hoekstra, 2008]

10. Coherence in water footprint accounts add product water footprints of all products produced Water footprint of a group of consumers Water footprint of a group of producers (e.g. a sector) Water footprint within a geographically delineated area Water footprint of a producer (business, company) Product water footprints Process water footprints Water footprint of consumer add product water footprints of all products consumed add process water footprints of all processes in a production system of a product add process water footprints of all processes occurring within the area [Hoekstra et al., 2011]

11. [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

13. Water footprint of EU’s cotton consumption (green water) [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

14. Water footprint of EU’s cotton consumption (blue water)

15. Former Aral Sea, Central Asia Cotton for export Signs of global water scarcity

16. Global water footprint of UK consumption 62% of the UK water footprint is outside its own borders [Chapagain & Orr, 2008]

17. Water footprint per capita [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

18. Water footprint per capita Global average water footprint [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

19. (Likely) biofuel crop choice in different regions

20. Water footprint of biofuels from different crops [litre/litre] [Gerbens-Leenes, Hoekstra & Van der Meer, 2009]

21. Water footprint sustainability assessment:

22. Water footprint sustainability assessment Direct water use Indirect water use (supply chain) Green water footprint Blue water footprint Grey water footprint 1 specific watershed All watersheds Global sustainability Responsible, efficient water use Geographic sustainability Globally equitable & efficient sustainability

23. Response Strategies for Local Water Footprint & Impacts Reduction Instruments to Drive Water Footprint & Impacts Reduction Sustainable, equitable, efficient water use; water stewardship Water Footprint Sustainability Assessment Water footprint response strategies

24. Water footprint assessment: Water footprint response strategies InstrumentWater Footprint ApplicationContribution to Sustainable Water Use BenchmarkingBest estimates for highest reasonable efficiency for green, blue, grey water for sector in geographic area Responsible, efficient water use at producer/ company level Agricultural policyStandards of agricultural practice based on benchmarks, national/ sub- national cropping patterns Responsible, efficient water use at national/ sub-national level, sustainable water use at catchment level Foreign/ trade policyGlobal water footprint accounting, water availability/ scarcity, benchmarks, sustainability assessment Responsible, efficient water use at the global level ReportingStandardized methodology for calculating water use, sustainability assessment Awareness raising for investors, consumers

25. Water footprint assessment: Water footprint response strategies InstrumentWater Footprint ApplicationContribution to Sustainable Water Use LabelingStandardized methodology for calculating water use, sustainability assessment Awareness raising & sustainable consumer water footprint CertificationStandardized methodology for calculating water use, sustainability assessment (water availability/ scarcity), response strategy analysis “Good water stewardship” criteria at business level, awareness raising for consumers/ business, linking consumers to business Environment Policy Standardized methodology for calculating water use, sustainability assessment (water availability/ scarcity) “Good water stewardship” at national level Energy Policy Standardized methodology for calculating water use, water footprint of biofuels Water use and crop production trade off analysis for energy sources

26. Ruth Mathews Water Footprint Network Ruth.Mathews@waterfootprint.org www.waterfootprint.org