A business guide is a concise and comprehensive digest of emerging concepts, tools and arguments around water footprint approaches. This report presents a number of innovations in the methodology which are recommended for consideration by the wfn and others keen to understand the total water impact of their products value chains and the risks this may present to their. Only air and soil emissions that impact water quality are included in the assessment, and not all air and soil emissions are included. Water footprint sustainability assessment the question of the sustainability of water footprints can be considered from a number of distinct points of view. The urgent need for harmonization of the inventory data. Pdf water footprint assessment wfa for better water. Water footprint assessment in support of sustainable. Dear colleagues, water footprint assessment has emerged as a new interdisciplinary field of research, focusing on the analysis of water use, scarcity, and pollution, in relation to production, consumption, and trade of. Calculation of the water footprint of a product using lca methodology should be based on the iso 14000 series, specifically iso 14040, iso 14044, and iso 14046. Environmental management water footprint ansi blog.
Water footprint assessment specialty food ingredients. Water footprint assessment description water footprint is a novel indicator of freshwater use, which quantifies the volume of water required by a product, service or activity when and where it is consumed. The average water footprint of a consumer in spain. Water footprint assessment is a fourphase process that quantifies and maps green, blue and grey water footprints, assesses the sustainability, efficiency and equitability of water use and identifies which strategic actions should be prioritised in order to make a footprint sustainable. This manual presents a scientifically rigorous method to help companies understand their dependency and impact on global water resources, and offers guidance on response strategies that conserve water for industry, communities, and nature. Specifically aimed at business audiences, this definitive short guide to the issues distils the latest in scientific and policy literature, helps sustainability leaders understand what. The water footprint m3ton of primary crops can be calculated as the crop water use at field level m3ha divided by the crop yield tonha. This book offers a complete and uptodate overview of the global standard on water footprint assessment as. Wfn to publish the water footprint assessment manual. Water footprint assessment analysing sustainability, efficiency, equity and security arjen hoekstra. Water footprint assessment offers a new perspective for developing a wellinformed water strategy provides understanding of local watersheds contexts and local processes water use efficiency identifies where water use is not sustainable andor efficient, and identifies water related physical and. This presentation provides a comprehensive introduction to water footprints. Setting goals and scope water footprint accounting water footprint sustainability assessment water footprint response formulation understand the geographic and temporal allocation of water resources for industry, agriculture and domestic water supply assess the sustainability, efficiency and equitability of water use. Standard for the assessment of the water footprint.
Blue water footprint refers to water sourced from surface and groundwater reservoirs which can either be incorporated into products or other water reservoir systems. Hoekstra professor in water management university of twente the netherlands. Epa studied the environmental footprints of three remedial options for managing leachate levels at a closed waste disposal unit at the former bp products north america, inc. Water footprint manual university of twente research information. The manual breaks new ground by presenting a scientifically rigorous method for companies to understand their dependency and impact on global water resources. The water footprint assessment manual is an extremely valuable tool and standard methodology that we hope will be widely adopted by governments, nonprofits, corporations, and watershed managers to ensure the sustainability of producing various goods and services in various locations and to accurately report water use and management information. The water footprint assessment manual setting the global standard pdf. The water footprint assessment manual water footprint network. Corporate water accounting an analysis of methods and tools for. A water footprint shows the extent of water use in relation to consumption by people. Water footprint impact assessment reducing water footprints 5.
Water footprint matters and china appears to have recognised this and is looking to reduce its virtual water dependency. Strawberries for export animal feed from california, usa top6 water consumers california. The water footprint measures the amount of water consumed by human activity as well as the assimilation capacity used the ability of a body of water to cleanse itself. The water footprint assessment manual setting the global. All over the world research in this area is rapidly developing and more and more pilot studies on water footprint assessment are initiated, across all sectors of economy and covering all continents. It includes both direct and indirect freshwater consumption.
Mekonnen mm 2011 the water footprint assessment manual. Current developments in water assessment increasing communication on water publication of water footprint. Results and learning the tata group partnered with ifc and technical partner water footprint network wfn to develop a corporate water strategy for twelve industrial facilities based on water footprint networks globally acknowledged water footprint assessment methodology. A bachelor degree in some related field is required.
A water footprint map shows the volumes of water used at various locations, for example the water used worldwide to make the products consumed by a given community. Water use is measured in water volume consumed evaporated andor polluted per unit of time. The society of conservation biology scb, being an organization committed to advancing knowledge of environmental conservation science, is naturally motivated to examine and reduce its own detrimental environmental impacts. The course is a 10week course at master of science level and open to students and professionals from different disciplines. Water footprint assessment, policy and practical measures in a specific. The water footprint of a nation is equal to the use of domestic water resources, minus the virtual water export.
A water footprint assessment identifies various components of water usage and assesses water usage and pollution in the context of a catchment area. To this end, scb has formed an adhoc ecological footprint committee, with the. A comprehensive introduction to water footprints 2009 arjen y. The manual presents a scientifically rigorous method to help companies understand their dependency and impact on global water resources, and offers guidance on response strategies that conserve water. Thanks to this assessment, an organisation can calculate the potential environmental impacts related to the water footprint regarding its products or services or the organisation itself, by implementing a life cycle approach. National water footprint assessment water footprint within a nation and water footprint of national consumption. The water footprint of a country is defined as the volume of water needed for the production of the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the country. Live area 159 x 240mm trim size 156 x 234mm bleed 18mm spine 24. Water use is an essential environmental indicator for all activities in the product life cycle. The water footprint assessment manual setting the global standard. Evolution of the field and challenges for business. Water footprint of eus cotton consumption blue water the water footprint has a spatial dimension, so it can be mapped. With simapro and its data and impact assessment methods, you now have all the building blocks you need to calculate your companys water footprints yourself.
Iso 14046 will specify principles, requirements and guidelines related to the water footprint assessment of products, processes and organizations, based on lifecycle assessment. Methodologies in need of improvement yifan gu, jin xu, hongtao wang,, and fengting li, college of environmental science and engineering, state key laboratory of pollution control and resource reuse, tongji university, shanghai 200092, china key laboratory of yangtze river water environment, ministry of education, shanghai 200092. Water footprint assessment in support of sustainable development. The wg is developing iso 14046, environmental management water footprint principles, requirements and guidelines, expected to be published by mid 2014. Comments off on water footprint assessment manual a shared standard on definitions and calculation methods is crucial given the rapidly growing interest in companies and governments to use water footprint accounts as a basis for formulating sustainable water strategies and policies. The water footprint of biofuel production can be divided into three different classes, namely green, blue, and gray water footprint. Despite criticisms, water footprint has certainly proven to be a useful concept and it is heartening to see the continued growth of water footprint research. In conformance with iso14046 and to answer the needs around the issue of water, the assessment should take into consideration water consumption and water degradation. Iso 14046 environmental management water footprint a.
Pdf grey water footprint assessment from the perspective. The water footprint, as an indicator of water consumption has become increasingly popular for analyzing environmental issues associated with the use of water resources in the global supply chain of consumer goods. It also provides information on sustainability, by comparing. Reducing your companys water footprint is an effective way to reduce your environmental impact. The water assessment is carried out by means of the water footprint concept, which aims at quantifying the amount of water required for the production of a good, and the virtual water. The water footprint assessment tool wfat released in 2012 greatly expands the scope and functionality of. A complete and uptodate overview of the global standard on water footprint assessment available in four languages. To date, no consensusbased approach exists for applying this standard and results are not always comparable when different scarcity or stress indicators are used for characterization of impacts.
Green water footprint is water from precipitation stored in soil and incorporated by plants. This handbook is a practical guide to develop a sustainable approach to water use that is based on practices of the international standard. The water footprint assessment manual setting the global standard arjen y. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of fresh water used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. Water footprinting methodologies are continually being refined. Besides, the report includes methods for water footprint sustainability assessment and a library of. It also offers guidance on response strategies that. The water footprint assessment tool wfat released in 2012 greatly expands the scope and functionality of wfn water footprints. Based on the pure measure of water quantity used, the associated environmental impacts of both direct and indirect water use are of eminent importance to identify the life cycle based water footprint of corporations see kohler, 2008. Water footprint in the context of sustainability assessment. Comprehensive information provided by a water footprint assessment can assist water users and aid in understanding how one can achieve more efficient and sustainable water use and. Water footprint assessment wfa for better water governance and sustainable development article pdf available in water resources and industry s 12.
Water footprint assessment a guide for business taylor. With the purpose of integrating water footprint in life cycle assessment of products, lca scholars have proposed to weight water footprint by water scarcity in a catchment, thus obtaining a waterscarcity weighted water footprint that reflects the potential local environmental. Is the total water footprint within a certain geographic area sustainable. Water footprint sustainability assessment the water. Water footprint assessment baltic development forum. The study shows that the average water footprint in indonesia insofar related to consumption of crop products is 11 m3capyr, but provincial water footprints vary between 859 and 1895 m3capyr. Aug 14, 2017 iso and itc have jointly published this handbook to help organizations carry out water footprint assessment according to the iso 14046. Aug 17, 2012 the water footprint assessment manual 1. It is not just the water we see from the tap, but the hidden water used to produce our food, energy, clothes, cars and other items. Water footprint assessment in support of sustainable development session report, 14 january 2015 session structure this seminar convened by water footprint network focussed on how water footprint. Water footprint assessment the goal of this research is to develop a general method to assess the water footprint of a typical cities in india using existing databases. Find out how many planets would be needed if everyone in the world lived like you. The real and the virtual water balance of china in 1999 data in gm3yr.
The corporate water footprint is equal to the sum of the direct and indirect water footprint i. Cotton from the aral sea basin, central asia 2006 2009 1977 19991986 20. A cup of java, according to researchers, requires 140 litres of water to produce. Setting the global standard, earthscan, london, uk.
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