groundwater role in the analysis of the water footprint maite m. aldaya m. ramón llamas university...

Groundwater role in the analysis of the water footprint

Maite M. AldayaM. Ramón Llamas

University of Twente – the NetherlandsWater Observatory – M. Botin Foundation

The role of the groundwater silent revolution:‘more cash and nature per drop’

IUCN and M. Botin Foundation: Side event5th World Water Forum, Istanbul, 20 March 2009

Water footprint of a product

► the volume of fresh water used to produce the product, summed over the various steps of the production chain.

► when and where the water was used:a water footprint includes a temporal and spatial dimension.

► type of water use:

Green water footprint - volume of rainwater evaporated.

Blue water footprint - volume of surface or groundwater evaporated.

Grey water footprint - volume of polluted water.

Water footprint of a nation

► total amount of water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the nation.

► two components:• internal water footprint – inside the country.• external water footprint – in other countries.

Export

Consumption

Impo

rt

Pro

duct

ion

Virtual water import for re-

export

Water use for export

Virtual water export

External water

footprint

Internal water

footprint

Water footprint

+

+

=

=

Virtualwaterimport

Water use within

country

++

= =

Virtual water

budget

+

+ =

=

National water accounting framework

The traditional statisticson water use

Water footprint with distinction of green and blue water (surface and groundwater) and related economic analysis for the Guadiana basin

Source: CHG (2008)

Guadiana WF

Agricultural use of water resources in the Guadiana (Mm3/year) (2001)

0 50 100 150 20025 Km

PROVINCES

LOWER GUADIANA

FORMER LOWER GUADIANA II OR TOP DOMAIN

UPPER GUADIANA

MIDDLE GUADIANA

GREEN WATER

BLUE SURFACE WATER

BLUE GROUNDWATER

Source: Aldaya and Llamas (2009)

BADAJOZ

CÁCERES

CUENCATOLEDO

SEVILLA

ALBACETE

CÓRDOBAHUELVA

CIUDAD REAL UPPER GUADIANA

MIDDLE GUADIANA

LOWER GUADIANA

1286

93

835

905745

142

7443

34

21103

TOP DOMAIN

Guadiana WF: Water consumption

Water economic productivity

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Upper Guadiana Middle Guadiana TOP Lower Guadiana

Humid (1997)

Average (2001)

Dry (2005)

€/m

3

Water economic productivity

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Upper Guadiana Middle Guadiana TOPTOP Lower GuadianaLower Guadiana

Humid (1997)

Average (2001)

Dry (2005)

€/m

3

Total blue water economic productivity (€/m3) concerning agricultural sector per year

Guadiana WF: Water consumption

Legal restrictions in GW use

One of the most regulated basins

Groundwater role within the water footprint

► Cash crops are usually obtained with groundwater irrigation

► Green water and most surface water irrigation systems cannot guarantee supply due to climate variability

► Relevant role of groundwater to achieve ‘more cash and nature per drop’

Thank you