The Role of Interregional Trade in Virtual Water on the Blue Water Footprint and the Water Exploitation Index in Brazil

Jaqueline Coelho Visentin,Joaquim Jose Martins Guilhoto

doi:10.52324/001c.10168

Abstract

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.

Highlights

Water is a non-renewable resource and is essential to all forms of life on the planet
The results show, that 60.6 billion m3 of Blue Water was withdrawn in Brazil in 2009 of which 39 percent were intraregional flows of Virtual Blue Water (23.4 billion m3)
On the Blue Water Footprint by demand side, the Tiete hydrographic basin was the region with the greatest demand, accounting for 14 percent (8.7 billion m3) in 2009, followed by the Litoral AL PE PB region accounting for 9 percent (5.3 billion m3), Grande (7.2 percent), Litoral RJ (7 percent), Paraıba (6 percent), Guaıba (5 percent) and Paraıba do Sul (4 percent)

Summary

Introduction

Water is a non-renewable resource and is essential to all forms of life on the planet. Human health is directly dependent on the availability of fresh, clean water. The hydrological (c) Southern Regional Science Association 2019 ISSN 1553-0892, 0048-49X (online) www.srsa.org/rrs. Cycle ensures that the volume of water on the Earth remains, more or less, constant over time, local availability of fresh drinking water is not unlimited. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, 450 million people in 29 countries suffered from water shortages in 2008 and by 2025 two out of every three people will live in areas of water stress United Nations Environment Programme 2e (2008). The primary driving forces of observed restricted water availability are anthropogenic in origin and include population growth, growth in economic activity, rural exodus, and pollution (Schlosser et al, 2014). Water withdrawal exceeds its replacement rate (Hoekstra et al, 2011)

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