Abstract
An analysis of virtual crop water export through international trade is conducted for Greece, downscaled to the River Basin District (RBD) level, in order to identify critical “hotspots” of localized water shortage in the country. A computable general equilibrium model (MAGNET) was used to obtain the export shares of crops and associated irrigation water was calculated for all major crops in Greece. A distinction between virtual crop water locally consumed and traded internationally was made for all Greek RBDs. Cotton was identified as a large water consumer and virtual water exporter, while GR08 and GR10 were identified as the RBDs mostly impacted. The value of virtual water exported was calculated for all crop types and fruits and vegetables were identified as the crop most beneficial, since they consume the least water for the obtained value.
Highlights
Europe’s economic prosperity and well-being is intrinsically linked to its natural environment—from fertile soils to clean air and water
In terms of “exported virtual water”, the three highly stressed districts (GR08, GR09 and GR10) seem to carry the biggest load, since about 40% of exported water comes from these River Basin District (RBD) for six months of the year (April to September)
Agriculture is a considerable water consumer, impacting severely on water resources availability availability and it is a subject of controversy regarding the formulation of agricultural policy and it is a subject of controversy regarding the formulation of agricultural policy aiming at aiming at relieving pressures on water resource
Summary
Europe’s economic prosperity and well-being is intrinsically linked to its natural environment—from fertile soils to clean air and water. Even though there is enough freshwater on the planet to serve the needs of global population, it is unevenly distributed and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed [5] This practically means that according to climate conditions and location, some countries may suffer from water scarcity while others are favored by physical water abundance. This unequal allocation of water drives a diversity in water availability for human life, ecosystems, industry and agriculture; while is fundamentally and inextricably tied to the history of politics, economics, food production, and population dynamics.
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