Eine Plattform für die Wissenschaft: Bauingenieurwesen, Architektur und Urbanistik
Eine Plattform für die Wissenschaft: Bauingenieurwesen, Architektur und Urbanistik
The problem with water footprints outside of irrigated drylands
Virtual water – embedded in an agricultural commodity by virtue of evapotranspiration during crop growth – is effectively consumed by the purchaser. In water-poor economies, it breaks their dependence on local water-for-food and acts as a political stabilizer. Tony Allan’s concept remains highly relevant in the irrigated drylands for which it was developed, but calculating water footprints for agriculture elsewhere should take account of the non-agricultural counterfactual – which may consume more water than the agriculture that replaces it. Otherwise, use of water footprinting, for example, in trade policy, will be misleading and counterproductive.
The problem with water footprints outside of irrigated drylands
Virtual water – embedded in an agricultural commodity by virtue of evapotranspiration during crop growth – is effectively consumed by the purchaser. In water-poor economies, it breaks their dependence on local water-for-food and acts as a political stabilizer. Tony Allan’s concept remains highly relevant in the irrigated drylands for which it was developed, but calculating water footprints for agriculture elsewhere should take account of the non-agricultural counterfactual – which may consume more water than the agriculture that replaces it. Otherwise, use of water footprinting, for example, in trade policy, will be misleading and counterproductive.
The problem with water footprints outside of irrigated drylands
Mulligan, Mark (Autor:in)
Water International ; 47 ; 1085-1107
03.10.2022
23 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Unbekannt
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