Proposal for a water resource management strategy model using the water footprint concept

Leonardo Costa,João Amato Neto

doi:10.14488/bjopm.2017.v14.n3.a10

Abstract

We hereby present a proposal for a water stewardship strategy model, having the water footprint as a reference, developed from the results of a qualitative and exploratory research and by interviews with experts in the subject. The aim is to identify these experts’ contributions to a water stewardship model as from the applicability of the water footprint concept. From the contribution provided by the experts’ panel, as well as the authors’ understanding of the content of the bibliographic research conducted, a water stewardship strategy model was proposed for producing goods and services as from the water footprint concept, structured as a Plan-Do-Check-Action stewardship model. This model sought to be supported on a holistic view of the sustainable management process of water resources, besides seeking to provide an innovative and comprehensive way to account for water use and consumption along with effluent disposal. Thus, it sought to contribute to a suitable risk management and might contribute as a necessary support for the development of operational and commercial strategies, contributing significantly to the sustainable development of an organization.

Highlights

The last years are marked as the period in which Brazil – a country comprising 12% of all drinking water on Earth (Araia, 2010) – was discovered vulnerable to water
Referring to the fact that the majority of the water used to produce a product is not contained in such product, being just a small fraction of the water used to produce it
The concept is similar to the concepts of energy, land and work “incorporated”, as such, one may refer to “incorporated water” (Hoekstra, 2009)

Summary

Introduction

The last years are marked as the period in which Brazil – a country comprising 12% of all drinking water on Earth (Araia, 2010) – was discovered vulnerable to water. The Southeast Region, the Country richest and most industrialized, presented well below average historical rainfall indexes, creating many supply problems (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, 2014). Referring to the fact that the majority of the water used to produce a product is not contained in such product, being just a small fraction of the water used to produce it. The concept is similar to the concepts of energy, land and work “incorporated”, as such, one may refer to “incorporated water” (Hoekstra, 2009). Factors for the Country’s drought increase are not yet fully known, being the Amazonian Region ongoing deforesting as the most probable and, of the largest magnitude (Carvalho, 2014)

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Conclusion