WATER FOOTPRINTS

Water Footprints

Water Footprints

The water Footprint

Under the water footprint is defined as the amount of water in total claimed by the inhabitants of a country. It is composed of the internal and external water footprint. The internal water footprint describes the use of local water resources for the production of agricultural and industrial goods for own consumption and domestic use of water are shown in the chart below this for Germany, 60 billion cubic meters per year. In addition, the virtual water, which country for its own use from other countries imported a: the external water footprint (with us 67 billion cubic meters per year). This claims therefore the water resources in other countries.

Similarly, exports of goods exported by the virtual water in other countries, as shown in the second row of the graphic. Partly for the production of export goods are used domestic water resources (D: 32 billion cubic meters), some is also imported virtual water through goods re-exported (39 bcm). The exported virtual water is part of the water footprint of each country.

The third line of the graph shows the sum of these sizes: All use of local water resources, including the export share and the total import. Together, these water-budget, so the total in a country occupied and turned over (virtual) water.

Current Water Demand

Current demand for water from cities, agriculture and industry is already unsustainable in many regions, yet is projected to increase significantly in coming years.” The 2030 Water Resources Group (Charting Our Water Future) says that in 20 years global water requirements will be 40% above the currently accessible, reliable supply. It concludes that in 2030 a third of the world's population will live in places where this deficit is larger than 50% (Carson, 1962).

Over 97% of global water is salty; less than 3% is fresh and drinkable. Nearly 70% of fresh water is frozen in the form of glaciers, ice and snow, but now melting. Aquifers hold almost all the available drinkable water. The rate of depletion of the these aquifers — which sustain agricultural and corporate users and provide drinking water for hundreds of millions of people — more than doubled, according to Geophysical Research Letters, from 33 trillion gallons per year to 75 trillion gallons, in the four decades between 1960 and 2000.

Corporate Water Treatment

According to EL Insights, the corporate water treatment market is likely to grow more than 11% annually, from $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion, from 2010 to 2015. The Ethical Corporation survey “Unlocking the Profit in Water Savings” found that 99% of sustainability respondents believe that water-­-related concerns will “become more of a priority” for businesses in the next five to 10 years, and 52% identify water stewardship as one of their company's top five responsible business issues. “At the Crest of a Wave,” a joint study by Business for Social Responsibility and the Pacific Institute, concludes, “In the next two to five years, companies will need to adapt to 9 availability concerns such as water stress and flooding; quality ...