Virtual Water as a Concept

Presentation on Virtual Water as a Concept for the course of management of resources

1. Virtual Water as a Concept
Chan Ka Nok
MSc candidate in Sustainable Resources Management,
Technische Universität München, Germany

2. What is Virtual Water?

3. Virtual Water
•Freshwater
•Origin
•Reference to product mass
•Virtual Water Content
Sources: deviantart.net

4. Examples
Sources:http://virtualwater.eu

5. Examples (cont’)
Sources:http://virtualwater.eu

6. Classification of Water Footprint

7. Green Water
•rainwater stored in the soil
in form of soil moisture
sources: diacarbon.com

8. Blue Water
•surface water
•groundwater
sources: wallpaperscraft.com

10. Grey Water
•pollution related
•freshwater required to
assimilate the load of
pollutants
•based on existing
ambient water quality
standards (Hoekstra et
al., 2011)
Sources: ed101.bu.edu

11. Virtual water trade balances
of thirteen world regions
1995-1999
Source: Hoekstra AY. (ed) (2003)

12. Virtual water balance per country
related to trade in agricultural
and industrial products
1996-2005
Source: Mekonnen and Hoekstra (2011)

14. WF Accounting Approach
Water Footprint Assessment Manual

15. WF Accounting
1.setting goals and scope
2.accounting
3.assessing sustainability
4.formulating responses

16. Top-Down Approach
total use of water
resources in the area
+
Net import of Gross
virtual water
(import - export)
Sources: www.tradeandexportme.com

17. Bottom-up Approach
•ALL goods and services
•number of inhabitants
•respective water needs
(Hoekstra and
Mekonnen, 2012a)
Sources: tmemarketing.com

18. Top-down or Bottom-up?
WF Accounting Approach

19. Top-Down Approach
total use of water
resources in the area
+
Net import of Gross
virtual water
(import - export)
Sources: www.tradeandexportme.com

20. Bottom-up Approach
•ALL goods and services
•number of inhabitants
•respective water needs
(Hoekstra and
Mekonnen, 2012a)
Sources: tmemarketing.com

21. Current Problem
large product WFs in water-
abundant areas
•Increase water
productivities (reduce
product WFs) in water-
abundant areas traded
internationally
•wise allocation of freshwater
resources to alternative
purposes (Hoekstra, 2011)

22. Solution?Like always
Sources: dailynewsegypt.com/

23. Policy Responses
•Reduction
•Efficiency
•Offsetting
•Water Neutral
•Water Footprint Cap
•Water Footprint Permits
•Water Labelling

24. Emission Reduction
•Market Potential
•Economic Potential
•Technical Potential

26. –John Fitzgerald Kennedy
“One person can make a difference, and
everyone should try.”

27. Reference
•Ercin, A. Ertug; Hoekstra, Arjen Y. (2012): Carbon and water footprints.
Concepts, methodologies and policy responses. Paris: UNESCO.
•Hoekstra AY. (ed) (2003) Virtual water trade: Proceedings of the International
Expert Meeting on Vir- tual Water Trade, Delft, The Neth- erlands, 12-13
December 2002. Value of Water Research Report Series No.12, IHE, Delft,
the Netherlands.
•Jones, J. A. A (2010): Water sustainability. A global perspective. London:
Hodder Education.
•Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2011) National water footprint accounts:
the green, blue and grey water footprint of production and consumption,
Value of Water Research Report Series No.50, UNESCO-IHE.