Virtual water: an effective mechanism for integrated water resources management

Abstract

In regions, which suffer from water shortage or potential water shortage like the Middle East, water policies and different mitigation measures are formulated. With the increasing population and increasing demand for food and drinking water with the fixed supply of water, the demand management policies have been introduced. Virtual Water has been adopted as an alternative or potential alternative water resource. In the application of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), virtual water has to be considered as a resource of water. In this paper, the practical value of the virtual water concept as well as the possibility of the application of the concept in the regional and national level are discussed. The paper emphasizes on the application of virtual water in agriculture products and virtual water trade of these products. This research concluded that, there is a possibility for the application of the virtual water concept on the national level taking into account water endowments, and other natural and social economic conditions. The virtual water strategy seeks ways to consciously and efficiently utilize the internal and external water resources to alleviate water scarcity. This, however, by no means implies that importing food is the only response the water scarce countries and regions should and can take. Other measures concerning the supply and demand sides of water management are imperative. The argument here is that the virtual water strategy should be an integral component in the whole package of integrated water resources management

Assessment of interstate virtual water flows embedded in agriculture to mitigate water scarcity in India (1996–2014)

“…WF for period of recovery (2005–2014) was estimated based on these WF data set of 1996–2005 based on the assumption that WF is a function of yield, through using equation . Yield of a crop is determined by the climate factors such as precipitation and reference evapotranspiration, and the agriculture technology [ Duarte et al ., ; El‐Sadek , ]. Recalculating WF coefficients for 2005–2014 based on 1996–2005 was considered crucial because yield varies between the two periods but has remained constant within each period (Figure ) [ Duarte et al ., ; El‐Sadek , ; Government of India , ].…”

“…Yield of a crop is determined by the climate factors such as precipitation and reference evapotranspiration, and the agriculture technology [ Duarte et al ., ; El‐Sadek , ]. Recalculating WF coefficients for 2005–2014 based on 1996–2005 was considered crucial because yield varies between the two periods but has remained constant within each period (Figure ) [ Duarte et al ., ; El‐Sadek , ; Government of India , ]. Therefore, the third data set required for the assessment is of yield of the food grains for the period of assessment (1996–2014).…”

“…Through the VW‐flows assessment, the rationale of enhancing net water savings (WS) is being achieved. WS can be gauged from difference in quantum of water used and wastewater generated at the site of production and export, and water which would have been used and wastewater which would have been generated in production of the good at the site of consumption and import [ El‐Sadek , ; Hoekstra and Chapagain , ]. Real WS result from movement of water‐intensive goods from a relatively water plenty to relatively water‐scarce area [ Hoekstra , ].…”

Virtual water flows under projected climate, land use and population change: the case of UK feed barley and meat

“…Conversely, the exporting nation loses that volume of water used to produce the given quantity of the food commodity traded. The instrumentality of virtual water for addressing water and food insecurity concurrently stems from its inherent proposition that a given economy can offset its water scarcity and maintain food security through the importation of water-intensive food commodities Dalin et al, 2012;El-Sadek, 2011;Aldaya et al, 2010;Hoekstra, 2010;Chapagain and Hoekstra, 2008). Virtual water provides an avenue for integrating the food system and the hydrological system in a single analytical and management framework to inform trade and resource management decisions and actions.…”

Optimizing Virtual Water as Irrigation Water Management Strategy in Egypt

“…Other measures concerning the supply and demand sides of water management are imperative. The argument here is that the virtual water strategy should be an integral component in the whole package of integrated water re-sources management [6].…”