Water Footprint and Virtual Water Trade: The Birth and Growth of a New Research Field in Spain

Maite M Aldaya,Ramón Llamas,Alberto Garrido

doi:10.3390/w12092641

Abstract

The growth in the number of studies applying and expanding the concepts of the water footprint and virtual water trade in Spain has generated a wealth of lessons and reflections about the scarcity, allocation, productive use, and management of water from the viewpoint of a semi-arid country. This paper reviews the evolution of this research field in Spain since its introduction in 2005 and reflects on its main contributions and issues of debate. It shows how these concepts can be useful tools for integrated water accounting and raising awareness, when used with certain precautions: (1) Supply-chain thinking, taking into account value chains and the implications of trade, generally ignored in water management, can help to address water scarcity issues and sustainable water use. (2) Green water accounting incorporates land use and soil management, which greatly influences hydrological functioning. (3) The grey water footprint indicator analyzes pollution from an ecosystem point of view and facilitates the understanding of the water quantity and quality relationship. (4) Apparent water productivity analysis, innovatively incorporated into Spanish studies, considers the economic and social aspects associated with water use. However, the decision-making context should be broader, contextualizing and complementing water information with other indicators.

Highlights

Spain is a semi-arid, water-scarce country, with unequal water distribution and relatively higher water abundance in the north than in the south
In 2018, the agricultural sector accounted for approximately 59% of the total water use and 3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employed 4% of the economically active population [1]
This study showed that both the grey water footprint (WF) and water pollution level (WPL) indicators could help improve the understanding of the relationship between human pressures and policies and the nitrogen impact on water

Summary

Introduction

Spain is a semi-arid, water-scarce country, with unequal water distribution and relatively higher water abundance in the north than in the south. Its economy has relied on the tourism and agricultural sectors, both very demanding in terms of water resources. In 2018, the agricultural sector accounted for approximately 59% of the total water use and 3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employed 4% of the economically active population [1]. The industrial sector represented 10% of the total water use, 16% of the GDP, and 13% of the economically active population, while the urban water supply amounted to 31% of the total water use [1]. Between 1996 and 2007, Spain’s GDP more than doubled in real terms and the share of the agricultural sector diminished progressively to a meager 4%, while total water use

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion