Subject Guide
An overview of global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of water, including embedded water in food and manufactured goods.
An overview of global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of water, including embedded water in food and manufactured goods.
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Introduction to water
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Complete the key data worksheet above by filling in the relevant information next to each piece of important data.
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Trends and patterns
1 Use thetabletotherightandmapsand graphs on the previous slides to describe the patterns and trends in water consumption
Extra sources: Kognity: 3.1.5 Globalwateravailability Main textbook: Page 475- 476 2. Click on the weeblytab to access a brief summary report from UNESCO on the causes of water shortage and the likely future impacts. i. Take notes on the four main sources that create demand, namely agriculture, production of energy, industrial uses and human consumption. Think back to previous work on rise of middle class population and continuing progress in global development (MDG's - SDG's). ii. Take notes on the likely impacts of climate change on future water supplies and vulnerable populations.
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Virtual water
The water footprint of a product is an empirical indicator of how much water is consumed, when and where, measured over the whole supply chain of the product. The water footprint is a multidimensional indicator, showing volumes but also making explicit the type of water use (evaporation of rainwater, surface water or groundwater, or pollution of water) and the location and timing of water use. The water footprint of an individual, community or business, is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. The water footprint shows human appropriation of the world’s limited freshwater resources and thus provides a basis for assessing the impacts of goods and services on freshwater systems and formulating strategies to reduce those impacts. Source www.waterfootprint.org
Why is this important?
As nations work toward securing food, water, energy and other essential inputs for people’s well being, livelihoods and the country’s economic development, most countries rely on imports as well as exports of goods and services. A country may aim to be self-sufficient by relying primarily on goods that can be produced within its borders. Or a country may choose to reduce the burden on the natural resources within its borders by importing water intensive products.
A country may select energy security by using its natural resources to produce electricity in exchange for food security by importing food. The water footprint and its translation into virtual water can illuminate these choices and their inter-dependencies. Virtual water helps us understand the dependencies our economies have on others’ resources.
Coupling this with the water footprint enables us to map out the dependencies and to identify when and where risks may lie, in terms of scarcity and pollution. This has implications for food security, economy and diplomacy.
For water-scarce countries it can sometimes be attractive to import virtual water (through import of water-intensive products), thus relieving the pressure on the domestic water resources. This happens, for example, in Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and Mexico. Northern European countries import a lot of water in virtual form (more than they export), but this is not driven by water scarcity.
Instead it results from protection of their domestic water resources, land availability and land uses. In Europe as a whole, 40% of the water footprint lies outside of its borders. Source www.waterfootprint.org
As nations work toward securing food, water, energy and other essential inputs for people’s well being, livelihoods and the country’s economic development, most countries rely on imports as well as exports of goods and services. A country may aim to be self-sufficient by relying primarily on goods that can be produced within its borders. Or a country may choose to reduce the burden on the natural resources within its borders by importing water intensive products.
A country may select energy security by using its natural resources to produce electricity in exchange for food security by importing food. The water footprint and its translation into virtual water can illuminate these choices and their inter-dependencies. Virtual water helps us understand the dependencies our economies have on others’ resources.
Coupling this with the water footprint enables us to map out the dependencies and to identify when and where risks may lie, in terms of scarcity and pollution. This has implications for food security, economy and diplomacy.
For water-scarce countries it can sometimes be attractive to import virtual water (through import of water-intensive products), thus relieving the pressure on the domestic water resources. This happens, for example, in Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and Mexico. Northern European countries import a lot of water in virtual form (more than they export), but this is not driven by water scarcity.
Instead it results from protection of their domestic water resources, land availability and land uses. In Europe as a whole, 40% of the water footprint lies outside of its borders. Source www.waterfootprint.org
Infographic practice
- How many LITRES of water does the average American use in a year (you'll need to find a way to convert US Gallons to litres)?
- How many litres is that each day?
- If a bucket of water holds about 10 litres of water, how many buckets of water does an average American use each day?
- Comment on this; does it surprise you (it should!)? Why?
- What is meant by "hidden water"?
- What is meant by "Blue water", "Green water" and "Grey Water"?
- What are the problems if water levels fall below critical levels in rivers?
