Центральная Азия: вода и экономический рост

Problems in estimating self-supplied industrial water use by indirect methods, the California example

Rising agricultural water scarcity in China is driven by expansion of irrigated cropland in water scarce regions

Essays in Ecological Economics

Virtual water trade of agricultural products: A new perspective to explore the Belt and Road

Brazil is known for its abundant water supply. However, an uneven spatial distribution of water and strong concentration of economic activities has caused some regions to face water restrictions. The objective of this research is to identify the main water users in Brazil, in terms of virtual blue water, and the impacts of the water use pattern on the regional Water Exploitation Index. Among the main results, the hydrographic basin Tiet^{e} was identified as the largest responsible basin for virtual blue water demand, while the hydrographic basin Litoral AL PE PB was an important virtual water supplier. Virtual blue water flows are largely interregional and a majority of the flows (66 percent) were exports from basins where the water balance indicates potential water restrictions. These results suggest that interregional trade in virtual blue water affects water availability for some Brazilian hydrographic basins, potentially undermining water security.

Virtual scarce water flows and economic benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative

The UN World Water Development Report 2016, <i>Water and Jobs</i>: A Critical Review

A multi-regional input–output analysis of domestic virtual water trade and provincial water footprint in China

The virtual Water flow of crops between intraregional and interregional in mainland China

Spillover risk analysis of virtual water trade based on multi-regional input-output model -A case study

The populations of most nations consume products of both domestic and foreign origin, importing together with the products the water which is expended abroad for their production (termed ‘virtual water’). Therefore, any investigation of the sustainability of present-day water consumption under future climate change needs to consider the effects of potentially reduced water availability both on domestic water resources and on the trades of virtual water. Here we use combinations of Global Climate and Global Impact Models from the ISI–MIP ensemble to derive patterns of future water availability under the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations scenarios. We assess the effects of reduced water availability in these scenarios on national water consumptions and virtual water trades through a simple accounting scheme based on the water footprint concept. We thereby identify countries where the water footprint within the country area is reduced due to a reduced within-area water availability, most prominently in the Mediterranean and some African countries. National water consumption in countries such as Russia, which are non-water scarce by themselves, can be affected through reduced imports from water scarce countries. We find overall stronger effects of the higher GHG concentrations scenario, although the model range of climate projections for single GHG concentrations scenarios is in itself larger than the differences induced by the GHG concentrations scenarios. Our results highlight that, for both investigated GHG concentration scenarios, the current water consumption and virtual water trades cannot be sustained into the future due to the projected patterns of reduced water availability.

Central Asia exports large amounts of virtual water through agricultural trade, a key factor for overexploitation of water resources in the region. Most studies analyze Central Asia’s virtual water outflows to the outside world, while ignore the agricultural trade within the region and the varying impacts of virtual water flows on the individual countries. In this study, the changes in virtual water flows embedded in trade with outside regions (external) and Central Asia countries (internal) were analyzed for the period 2000–2018 for wheat, cotton, and livestock. The results show that while Central Asia exported, respectively, 194.3 and 101.8 km3 of virtual water to the outside world through cotton and wheat trade, it imported 53.7 km3 of virtual water via livestock trade. Also, while cotton‐based virtual water outflows decreased, wheat‐based virtual water outflows increased. Total virtual water flows in internal trade reached 71.2 km3, with flow originating mainly from Kazakhstan and heading to other four countries through wheat trade.Kazakhstan was the largest net exporter of virtual water through wheat trade, Uzbekistan was the second‐largest net exporter through cotton trade. Green water (precipitation water used by crops) was dominant in virtual water flow related to wheat and blue water (surface water or groundwater used by crops) was dominant in virtual water flow related to cotton. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were most directly influenced by the virtual water trade.

From a value-added trade perspective, this study utilizes the world input–output tables and the water footprint data of each industry in each country in the Eora database to explore the virtual water resources of 19 countries (the G20 countries excluding the European Union) in 2016. We calculated nine value chain decompositions and the pattern of virtual water flows and then explored the implied virtual water use due to the trade of intermediate goods and final goods, and we also analyzed the unequal trade of virtual water and added value among countries. The results indicate the following. Firstly, in most countries, the largest portion of virtual water is attributed to exports of intermediate inputs that are produced in the source country and fully utilized by the direct import countries, followed by the foreign value-added component of intermediate goods, while the smallest share of virtual water is returned to the country. Secondly, in value-added trade, excluding the rest of the world (ROW), China, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Germany are net importers in the virtual water trade between G20 countries, and the USA is the largest net exporter of virtual water. Thirdly, intermediate product trade is the dominant form of implied virtual water trade among countries, which leads to a net flow ratio of implied virtual water of about 80% to 90%. Lastly, the Virtual Water Inequality Index shows that thirteen country combinations, including Brazil and Argentina, exhibit significant inequality, and most countries are in a relatively equal state. In addition, the virtual water and added value of the relatively economically developed regions benefit more from the virtual water trade. Therefore, it is crucial for countries to reduce their consumption of virtual water when trading intermediate products to develop high-value-added and low-water-consumption industries and to choose appropriate virtual water trade targets.

We are facing a fresh water crisis during this century. In less than two decades, by 2030, the requirements for fresh water are expected to exceed the currently available and accessible fresh water supplies by 40%.1 Many countries are expected to be water stressed later in this century; some areas of the world already are. Some people may even lack water to meet basic human needs, such as drinking, washing, and sanitation. In rural areas in certain regions, people may lack water to grow good food crops, even for their own consumption. This has major implications for the welfare of the world’s population and for the integrity and violability of ecosystems. At a minimum, we are facing a series of local or regionalized fresh water crises, which will have global political, economic, and social repercussions. More likely, these localized and regional water crises will also lead to a global fresh water crisis in the sense that sufficient water will not be available for the purposes needed and at the time needed. Fossil ground water aquifers will be increasingly depleted, and technology may not be sufficient to ensure secure water supplies. While the details of the pending fresh water crisis have been set forth elsewhere, the implications for the trade in virtual water and the application of international trade law need to be further addressed.2 This article focuses on this connection.

Embodiment of virtual water of power generation in the electric power system in China