Abstract
This paper presents the first estimate of global water use in the forestry sector related to roundwood production for lumber, pulp, paper, fuel and firewood. For the period 1961–2010, we estimate forest evaporation at a high spatial resolution level and attribute total water consumption to various forest products, including ecosystem services. Global water consumption for roundwood production increased by 25% over 50 years to 961×109 m3/y (96% green; 4% blue) in 2001–2010. The water footprint per m3 of wood is significantly smaller in (sub)tropical forests compared to temperate/boreal forests, because (sub)tropical forests host relatively more value next to wood production in the form of other ecosystem services. In terms of economic water productivity and energy yield from bio-ethanol per unit of water, roundwood is rather comparable with major food, feed and energy crops. Recycling of wood products could effectively reduce the water footprint of the forestry sector, thereby leaving more water available for the generation of other ecosystem services. Intensification of wood production can only reduce the water footprint per unit of wood if the additional wood value per ha outweighs the loss of value of other ecosystem services, which is often not the case in (sub)tropical forests. The results of this study contribute to a more complete picture of the human appropriation of water, thus feeding the debate on water for food or feed versus energy and wood.
Highlights
Precipitation is renewable, it is limited in time and space, and so are its subsequent pathways as green and blue water flows (Schyns et al, 2015; Hoekstra, 2013)
Water consumption attributed to roundwood production The volume of water consumed that can be attributed to roundwood production (WU, in m3/y) in grid cell x in year t is estimated as: WU[x, t] = (Eact[x, t] × area used for roundwood production (Arw)[x, t] + Pact[x, t] × fwater[x])
The global water consumption attributed to roundwood production increased by 25% over 50 years, from 768 × 109 m3/y in 1961–1970 to 961 × 109 m3/y in 2001–2010
Summary
It is limited in time and space, and so are its subsequent pathways as green and blue water flows (Schyns et al, 2015; Hoekstra, 2013). There are alternative competing uses for these limited flows, which makes freshwater a scarce resource This explains the interest in the human appropriation of water (Postel et al, 1996; Rockström et al, 1999; Rockström and Gordon, 2001; Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012) in relation to a maximum sustainable level (Hoekstra and Wiedmann, 2014) or planetary boundary (Steffen et al, 2015; Rockstrom et al, 2009). Multiple studies have quantified the global blue and green water consumption for producing crop and livestock products, and for fulfilling industrial and municipal demands (Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012; Rost et al, 2008; Hanasaki et al, 2010; Liu and Yang, 2010; Liu et al, 2009; Siebert and Döll, 2010; Mekonnen and Hoekstra, 2011; Wada et al, 2014; Döll et al, 2012)
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