water footprint essay

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How to Reduce Our Water Footprint to a Sustainable Level?

About the author, arjen y. hoekstra.

March 2018, No. 1 Vol. LV 2018, The Quest for Water

F reshwater scarcity is increasingly perceived as a global systemic risk. In its last seven annual risk reports, since 2012, the World Economic Forum lists water crises as one of the top five risks to the global economy in terms of potential impact. 1 A recent study shows that two thirds of the global population live under conditions of severe water scarcity for at least one month of the year. 2 Nearly half of those people live in China and India. Half a billion people in the world face severe water scarcity all year round.

Overconsumption of water is widespread. Rivers such as the Yellow River in China and the Colorado River in the United States do not even meet the ocean anymore. Along their way, the water from these rivers is withdrawn to supply farmers, industries and households. The Aral Sea in Central Asia and Lake Urmia in Iran have nearly disappeared as a result of upstream water use. Groundwater reserves are being depleted at worrying rates as well, on all continents. The United States, for example, is overexploiting its High Plains and Central Valley Aquifers, India and Pakistan their Upper Ganges and Lower Indus Aquifers, and China its Northern China Aquifer. Abstraction rates of 10 to 50 times natural recharge rates are quite common. 3 In many places, such as Yemen, groundwater tables fall by one metre per year. Water pollution is pervasive as well. Fertilizers and pesticides from farming end up in rivers, violating water quality standards without any serious action taken by authorities. Several streams in Bangladesh and China appear red, purple or blue due to wastewater from the apparel industry, with colours depending on the latest fashion in the West.

Some of us, like myself, live in rainy areas where water scarcity seems like a remote problem, but we can still relate to it. A surprising 40 per cent of the water footprint for European consumers lies outside the continent, often in places facing severe water problems. Much of our food and many other goods are imported from countries with water-stressed catchments. Food production, in particular, uses a lot of water. To produce one 200-gram steak, an average of 3,000 litres of water is consumed. A 200-gram chocolate bar requires 3,400 litres of water. Feed for livestock and food for our direct consumption are intensively traded, often coming from water-scarce places. For example, it has been estimated that about 50 per cent of the water footprint of consumers in the United Kingdom lies in river basins where water consumption exceeds sustainable levels, all outside the country. 4

Although much of the water depletion and pollution has already been going on for years, we have yet to find an adequate response. I propose three measures to achieve a more sustainable water use. 5 First, governments will have to establish water footprint caps for all catchments in the world. Such caps are necessary to set limits to the water consumption in each river basin. A cap will depend on local water availability and vary throughout the year, since in the dry period the maximum amount of water available for consumption is less. Besides, not all water in a river can be used. A certain minimum volume of water will need to remain for maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity. Livelihoods of people living downstream also depend on it. Water footprint caps can also be used to set a maximum level for pollution in a catchment, which will depend on its assimilation capacity. Once there is a cap, we need to ensure that the number of “water footprint permits” issued to specific users does not exceed its limits. Only in this way can we guarantee that the sum of water uses and the sum of pollutant loads remain within sustainable levels. We should acknowledge that water use is not necessarily a problem, as long as we purify used water and return it to the river or aquifer from which it was drawn. Therefore, the water footprint measures only consumptive water use, i.e. the water that is not returned to the source from which it has been taken, and the volume of water polluted, i.e. the water that has not been cleaned before disposal.

The second thing to do is to formulate water footprint benchmarks for all needs that require a lot of water, such as food, beverages, clothes, flowers and bioenergy. We need to promote the best available technology and practices that lead to the lowest levels of water use and pollution. Water wastage in farming and industry is enormous. With water footprint benchmarks for products we will have a measure of what are reasonable levels of water use, including for each step of a product’s supply chain. Various studies have already shown that significant water savings and enormous water pollution reduction can be achieved by simply replacing outdated practices with better ones that are already available. It would be great for consumers to be informed and have choices. Today, it is difficult to buy water-friendly products, simply because relevant information is completely lacking. Governments must promote greater product transparency by forcing companies to show whether certain minimum production criteria have been met. This is not only relevant for consumers at the tail end of the supply chain, but also for businesses that want to source sustainably. Water footprint benchmarks will also be useful for governments when issuing water footprint permits to specific users, since permits can be restricted to what is absolutely necessary, given a certain type of production.

The third thing to do is promote fairer water use across communities. In the United States and Southern Europe, consumers have a water footprint nearly twice the global average. Since the amount of water per world inhabitant is limited, we need to share it and come to an agreement as to what direct and indirect levels of water use per person are reasonably acceptable. This requires political action at the highest level and will undoubtedly lead to widely diverging views. We can expect similar discussions and negotiations as we look for a response to the challenges of climate change. If we want to stabilize our total water footprint, preventing its further increase, average annual consumption per person will have to decrease from 1,385 cubic metres in 2000 to 835 cubic metres by 2100, due to the projected population growth. While we can certainly survive with that amount of water, many of us will have to adjust our consumption patterns in order to reduce our direct and indirect water usage.

If we are to assume an equal water footprint share for all citizens in the world, China and India would need to reduce their water footprint per person by about 22.5 per cent over the coming century. This is quite a challenge given the fact that these countries are currently increasing their water consumption. It will be an even more formidable challenge for the United States of America as its citizens would need to reduce their water use by a staggering 70 per cent. The adoption of better technologies alone will not suffice. People will have to change their consumption patterns as well. Simple things, such as showering for five minutes instead of ten can help, but it will not be enough, because for most people water use at home constitutes only one to four per cent of their total water footprint. The rest comes from consumer products, particularly food. In many countries, 30 to 40 per cent of overall indirect water use comes from meat and dairy consumption. Eating less meat or becoming a vegetarian will thus be a more effective step in saving water.

Let me summarize. Our water footprint needs to be significantly lowered in many river basins in the world. We can achieve this by agreeing on water footprint caps per river basin and water footprint reduction targets per product, as well as by changing our consumption patterns, including wasting less food and eating less meat. Fair sharing of the globe’s limited freshwater resources will be key in reducing the threat posed by water scarcity on biodiversity and human welfare. International collaboration in implementing these measures will be crucial.

• World Economic Forum, The Global Risks Report 2018, 13th ed. (Geneva, Switzerland, 2018).
• Mesfin M. Mekonnen and Arjen Y. Hoekstra, “Four billion people facing severe water scarcity”, Science Advances, vol. 2, No. 2 (12 February 2016), e1500323. Available from http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/2/e1500323.full .
• Carole Dalin and others, “Groundwater depletion embedded in international food trade”, Nature, vol. 543, No.7647 (30 March 2017), pp. 700-704. Available from https://www.nature.com/articles/nature21403 .
• Arjen Y. Hoekstra and Mesfin M. Mekonnen, “Imported water risk: the case of the UK”, Environmental Research Letters, vol. 11, No. 5 (27 April 2016), 055002. Available from http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/5/055002 .
• Arjen Y. Hoekstra, The Water Footprint of Modern Consumer Society (London, United Kingdom, Routledge, 2013).  

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• Unit 2: Water Footprints

Dr. Robert J. Turner, University of Washington Bothell

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Science and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. MS-P4.7:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking: Use mathematical, computational, and/or algorithmic representations of phenomena or design solutions to describe and/or support claims and/or explanations. HS-P5.2:

Cross Cutting Concepts

Patterns: Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data. MS-C1.4:

Patterns: Patterns in rates of change and other numerical relationships can provide information about natural and human designed systems MS-C1.2:

Patterns: Empirical evidence is needed to identify patterns. HS-C1.5:

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Natural Resources: Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes. MS-ESS3.A1:

Natural Resources: All forms of energy production and other resource extraction have associated economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical costs and risks as well as benefits. New technologies and social regulations can change the balance of these factors. HS-ESS3.A2:

Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems: Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities HS-ETS1.A2:

Performance Expectations

Earth and Human Activity: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems. MS-ESS3-4:

Earth and Human Activity: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity. HS-ESS3-1:

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Collection

Resources in this top level collection a) must have scored Exemplary or Very Good in all five review categories, and must also rate as "Exemplary" in at least three of the five categories. The five categories included in the peer review process are

For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html .

Unit 2 opens a window into water accounting and reveals intensive water use that few people think about. How much water goes into common commodities? Have you considered how much water it takes to support our modern American lifestyle and agricultural trade? Water that is embedded in products and services is called virtual water . Looking at the world through the lens of virtual water provides a watery focus to thorny discussions about water such as: the pros and cons of globalization and long distance trade; self sufficiency vs. reliance on other nations; ecosystem impacts of exports; and the impacts of relatively cheap imports on indigenous farming. Unit 2 also introduces the concept of a water footprint . A water footprint represents a calculation of the volume of water needed for the production of goods and services consumed by an individual or country. In this unit students will calculate their individual footprints and analyze how the water footprints of countries vary dramatically in terms of gross volumes and their components. As a result of these activities, students will learn of vast disparities in water access and application. They will also be challenged to consider mechanisms or policies that could foster greater equity in water footprints.

Expand for more detail and links to related resources

Activity Classification and Connections to Related Resources Collapse

Grade level, readiness for online use.

Learning Goals

Unit 2 is designed to help students advance in achievement of both Module Learning Goal 1 and Module Learning Goal 2:

• Module Learning Goal 1: Students will explain how fresh water availability and management practices pose threats to ecosystem integrity, human well-being, security, and agricultural production.
• Module Learning Goal 2: Students will explain what goes into the calculation of virtual water amounts and water footprints and the application of these concepts.

The unit also has the following more specific learning objectives.

Upon completion of the unit, students should be able to:

• Explain the concept of virtual water and how the amounts of water embedded in commodities varies by commodity and region of production.
• Evaluate the pros and cons of virtual water trade.
• Explain how water footprints are calculated and differentiate between internal and external water footprints.
• Differentiate between green, blue and grey water in water footprint analysis.
• Interpret individual and national water footprint data and explain how water footprints relate to water scarcity, water degradation, and water-related equity and sustainability.
• Demonstrate facility in working with student partners in equitable and inclusive collaboration.
• Demonstrate improved ability to analyze and evaluate quantitative information.
• Synthesize interdisciplinary information in a holistic analysis of water-related problems.

Context for Use

This is the second unit of a module on water sustainability, particularly as it relates to agriculture. This unit focuses on how we can account for water use and trade at individual, regional, national, and global scales via the virtual water concept and water footprinting. As virtual water trade and water footprints are dominated by agricultural production, this unit provides a natural segue between the concepts of water (un)sustainability covered in the previous unit and irrigation practices covered in the following units. Like Unit 1, this unit is very interdisciplinary in nature. It requires students to fuse geoscience and economic based perspectives in a more holistic analysis. Instructors should point this out to students and periodically check in on the challenge students are experiencing in working across disciplines.

Class Size: This can be adapted for a variety of class sizes.

Class Format: In activity 2.1b, students collaborate in pairs to answer a series of questions in a worksheet focused on the issues and data associated with the concepts of virtual water. Activity 2.1c has students brainstorming in small groups, then participating individually in a whole-class debate on the pros and cons of virtual water trade. In Activity 2.2b, students collaborate in small groups (3-5 students each) to answer a series of questions in a worksheet on water footprinting.

Time Required: The in-class activities of this unit are designed to take three 1-hour class periods.

Special Equipment: The instructor must supply the worksheets provided below for activities 2.1b and 2.2b. Unit 2.1 recommends that instructors foster online discussions of readings prior to the class periods for that unit. If instructors do not have access to online teaching platforms like Blackboard or Canvas, they could try out free online chat services like Google Hangouts .

Skills or concepts that students should have already mastered before encountering the activities: Before each in-class activity, each student will need to do the assigned readings and participate in the online discussions. Unit 2.2 requires students to complete a homework assignment in order to participate in the in-class activity of the unit. These preparatory activities will give them the background necessary to analyze and critique virtual water and water footprint data and controversies.

This unit can stand alone, if desired, and is most appropriate for upper-level undergraduate students in any major. It is designed to foster global learning and an appreciation of a systems approach to evaluating water problems. This unit is particularly useful for exposing Earth Science majors to the cultural and economic geography of water allocation and use.

Description and Teaching Materials

This unit is presented in 2 sub-units. Sub-unit 2.1 is centered on virtual water. Sub-unit 2.2 is centered on water footprints. This unit includes a class debate and a homework assignment to be submitted for a grade. These two sub-units are designed to take three class periods, each lasting one hour.

Unit 2.1 - Virtual Water (90-100 minutes stretched over two 1 hour class periods)

The activities in this sub-unit develop an understanding of the concept of virtual water and provide opportunities for the development of critical thinking and communication skills. Students tend to be shocked when they learn how much water goes into common commodities, such as pizza, burgers, t-shirts and shoes. Looking at the world through the lens of virtual water also provides a watery focus to thorny discussions of the pros and cons of globalization and long distance trade, self sufficiency vs. reliance on other nations, ecosystem impacts of exports, and the impacts to indigenous people and their farms introduced by importing cheap mass-produced food.

Activity 2.1a - Homework: Reading Assignment and Online Discussion on Virtual Water This activity is to be completed as homework in advance of the class period. Suggested readings and discussion prompts are found in the following guidance document, as are the specific learning goals. Instructors are encouraged to offer a small amount of points for satisfactory participation in the online discussion.

Instructor Guidance for Activity 2.1a: Reading Assignment and Online Discussionfor Virtual Water (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 23kB Aug21 23)

Activity 2.1b - Interactive Lecture and Student Handout Analysis on Virtual Water Statistics (40 minutes)

This activity engages student learning on the concept and statistics of virtual water via a PowerPoint slide presentation and a handout with questions for students to answer. Students working in pairs will analyze the virtual water quantities in several commodities, consider how that varies from region to region, and calculate how much virtual water resides in their t-shirt and shoe collection. The end of the slide presentation sets up the Virtual Water debate that takes place as Activity 2.1c. The first document below provides guidance for the instructor in running Activity 2.1b. It includes the virtual water handout with questions for students to answer, along with guidance for the instructor on the context of the activity and the learning objectives for the activity. The second document is the handout/worksheet to be distributed to the students for Activity 2.1b. The third file is the PowerPoint presentation for Activity 2.1b. Instructor Guidance for Activity 2.1b: Virtual Water Worksheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 352kB Jan23 17) Student handout for Activity 2.1b: Virtual Water Worksheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 352kB Feb2 17) Slides for Activity 2.1b: Pair Analysis on Virtual Water Statistics (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 616kB Jan23 17)

Activity 2.1c - Class Debate: Should the World Rely More on Virtual Water Trade? (60 minutes - 20 minutes at the end of the first class session and 40 minutes for the next class session)

There are serious pros and cons to the virtual water trade and the trend for ever greater reliance on it. How one weighs the pros and cons relates to the ideology of sustainability. This is probably the most inherently interdisciplinary activity of the module, unfolding at the intersection of geoscience, economics, ethics, and politics. Instructors are encouraged to highlight this complexity and point out connections between debate arguments and personal value sets. What follows is the guidance document to run the class debate on virtual water. It is recommended that the last 15-20 minutes of the first class day of this unit be used by students in groups to prepare for the Virtual Water debate. The actual debate (40 min) is suggested to take place during the first half of the following class period. PowerPoint slides associated with the Virtual Water debate are found below the guidance document for Activity 2.1b. Note that Activity 2.2a (Reading Assignment and Water Footprint Homework Assignment) should take place between the first and second class day of this unit.

Instructor Guidance for Activity 2.1c: Virtual Water Debate (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 24kB Jan23 17) Slides for Activity 2.1c: Virtual Water Debate (PowerPoint 173kB Jan23 17)

Unit 2.2 - Water Footprints (80 minutes stretched over 2 class periods)

In lieu of a 20-minute PowerPoint overview, the activities of this sub-unit are designed to develop a better understanding of the calculation and application of water footprints through critical thinking, numeracy, and communication skills. It impresses upon students the great variability of national water footprints per person and how the water footprint of many regions exceeds the natural supply within their basin. Student analysis of water footprint data provides the basis for a discussion on whether water footprints should be more tightly controlled for the sake of international equity, ecosystem requirements, and long-term water sustainability.

Activity 2.2a - Reading Assignment and Water Footprint Homework Assignment

This activity is to be completed as homework in advance of the class on water footprints as well as Activity 2.1c . The first file below contains a guidance document for Activity 2.2a, with context and learning goals, suggested readings and the homework assignment. The next document contains the student homework assignment: to calculate their individual water footprints. 10 points can be awarded to students for satisfactory completion of the assignment.

Instructor Guidance for Activity 2.2a: Reading and Homework Assignment on Water Footprints (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 20kB Aug21 23) Student Handout for Activity 2.2a: Reading and Homework Assignment on Water Footprints (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 21kB Aug21 23)

Activity 2.2b - Group Work: Analysis of Individual Water Footprints and Footprints of Nations (80 minutes stretched over 2 class periods - 20 minutes on day 2 of the unit, 60 minutes on day 3)

This activity will extend over 2 class periods. After the virtual water debate (Activity 2.1c), students will work in small groups to share their individual water footprint results for 20 minutes. During the second class period, students will work in small groups to analyze various water footprint statistics and figures. Students apply this information to discuss water footprint regulation, whether or not there should be a maximum allowable water footprint amount per person or nation. The first document below provides detailed guidance for the instructor on how to run Activity 2.2b, with context and learning goals. The second document is the student worksheet.

Instructor Guidance for Activity 2.2b: Analysis of Water Footprints (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 308kB Feb24 17) Student Handout for Activity 2.2b: Analysis of Water Footprints (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 305kB Feb24 17) Power Point presentation on Water Footprints for use in class. Slides for Activity 2.2b: Water Footprints (PowerPoint 2.7MB Feb23 17)

Teaching Notes and Tips

Detailed teaching guidance is provided in the various downloadable documents in the section above. The two sub-units should take 3 one-hour class days, though an instructor can easily stretch the topics and material out to take more class time. The primary pedagogies involved in this unit include class discussion, a class debate, and both group and pair analysis of quantitative information and texts.

Instructors can assess how well each student understands the concept of virtual water and the pros and cons associated with virtual water trade by reviewing (and challenging) their posts in the online discussion for this unit. Instructors can further assess the depth of class thinking on the pros and cons associated with virtual water trade by the quality of the debate they do in Activity 2.1d. Student achievement of the learning goals associated with the water footprints will be assessed via an individual homework assignment as well as by group responses to an in-class worksheet.

The instructor will be able to assess whether students are making advances in the learning objectives for this unit, as well as meeting the more content-specific objectives listed in the summary at the top of this page, by student participation in the group work and the online and class discussions.

As an optional summative assessment of what students have learned by participation in Units 1 and 2, you can have them write an essay as a homework assignment following Day 3 of Unit 2. The prompt for the reflective essay assignment is provided below.

Sustainability in the Context of Water Essay Assignment (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 17kB Jan23 17)

References and Resources

This unit is built around the following articles and online resources. For the 3-day unit, students are asked to read 6 of the articles, as well as visit the water footprint calculator web sites.

Aldaya, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2010). The Water Needed for Italians to Eat Pasta and Pizza . Agricultural Systems , 103: 351–360. Chapagain, A.K., Hoekstra, A.Y. and Mekonnen, M. (2007). Your Water Footprint - The Quick Calculator . University of Twente. Chapagain, A.K., Hoekstra, A.Y. and Mekonnen, M. (2007). Your Water Footprint - Extended Calculator . University of Twente. Chapagain, A.G., Hoekstra, A.Y. and Savenije, HHG (2006). Water Saving Through International Trade in Agricultural Products . Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 10: 455–468 . Hoekstra, A.Y. (2011). The Global Dimension of Water Governance: Why the River Basin Approach Is No Longer Sufficient and Why Cooperative Action at Global Level Is Needed . Water , 3: 21-46. Hoekstra, A.Y. (2012). The Hidden Water Resource Use Behind Meat and Dairy . Animal Frontiers , 2(2): 3-8. Hoekstra, A.Y. and Chapagain, A.K. (2006). Water Footprint of Nations: Water Use by People as a Function of their Consumption Pattern . Water Resource Management , 21: 35-48. Hoekstra, A.Y. and Mekonnen, M.M. (2012). The Water Footprint of Humanity . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America , 109(9): 3232-3237. Hoekstra, A.Y., Mekonnen, M.M., Chapagain, A.K., Mathews, R.E., and Richter, B.D. (2012). Global Monthly Water Scarcity: Blue Water Footprints versus Blue Water Availability . PLoS ONE, 7(2): e32688. Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2010). The Green, Blue and Grey Water Footprint of Farm Animals and Animal Products . Value of Water Research Report Series No. 48, UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands. Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2011). National Water Footprint Accounts: The Green, Blue and Grey Water Footprint of Production and Consumption . Value of Water Research Report Series No. 50, UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands. Smakhtin, V., Revenga, C., Doll, P., and Tharme, R. (2003). Giving Nature Its Share: Reserving Water for Ecosystems , in Putting the Water Requirements of Freshwater Ecosystems into the Global Picture of Water Resources Assessment. Draft paper presented at the 3rd World Water Forum, Kyoto, Japan, March 18th, 2003. Wikipedia (2014). Virtual Water . World Water Council (2003). Session on Virtual Water: Water Trade and Geopolitics .

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Essay On My Water Footprint

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: United States , Water , Life , America , Consumption

Published: 12/10/2019

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After taking the water footprint calculator, I realized how much I contribute to the water use of the country. In terms of the water use in our homes, I exceeded that US average by 63, although, my water foot print is way below the US average in terms of diet, energy and stuff. This makes me feel a little better, knowing that I don’t overuse water however; I also realized that I could also help conserve water in my own little way or by just changing some of my lifestyle. I was surprised to know that, even the little things such as usage of paper also use water. Actually, almost everything that I have and do, have utilized water at some point during production. This has made me further realize the importance of water in our lives. Almost everything needs water, that without water, things will not be how they used to be here on earth. This exercise made me realize the things I do where I am wasteful of water especially our home consumption. I believe that most American will have the same water consumption as mine or way above what I have. If this is the scenario, then in a year, there is a huge amount of water being wasted by the daily American. It is high-time that citizens, like me, should change their attitude towards water usage and start being mindful of conserving water in every aspect of their life. Simple things could be done are to stop using the shower, instead use a basin, reduce those travels and stop being impulsive buyers especially on clothes which you do not use anyway. For my part, I’ll be cautious in my water usage. Everything needs water, living or not. With the dwindling water resources that we have, every individual can extend the presence of fresh water just by doing away with things in our lives that are not important to our daily existence and I’m going to live with this in mind.

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Our world class, interactive tools are fully open source and provide you with essential data and insights into your water use. Below you can find our water footprint calculators.

The Water Footprint Assessment Tool

The Water Footprint Assessment Tool is a free online web application that provides clear insight into how water is appropriated for human uses and the impacts resulting from those uses.

It assists companies, governments, NGOs, investors, consultants, researchers and others to calculate and map the water footprint, assess its sustainability and identify strategic actions to improve the sustainability, efficiency and equitability of water use.

The Water Footprint Assessment Tool is being developed by the Water Footprint Network, in collaboration with Water Footprint Implementation. Bringing together the internationally recognized Global Water Footprint Standard and the most comprehensive, global water footprint database – WaterStat – as well as user-provided data, the Water Footprint Assessment Tool allows you to complete either a geographic or production assessment and provides results based on sound methods and best available data.

The geographic assessment allows you to:

• Explore in detail the water footprint in a river basin
• Assess the sustainability of the water footprint in this basin
• Identify ways to reduce the water footprint in the basin

The production assessment allows you to:

• Quantify and map the operational and supply-chain water footprint of a facility or the water footprint of a product that can be specified by yourself
• Assess the sustainability of your facility’s or product’s water footprint
• Identify ways to reduce the water footprint of your facility or product

The Water Footprint Assessment Tool is in continuous development as research is completed and new data are available and to better serve the full range of users who can benefit from the tool. We hugely appreciate your feedback on the tool. Contact us here .

Water Footprint Assessment Tool Development Team

This latest version of the Water Footprint Assessment Tool is developed by the Water Footprint Network and Water Footprint Implementation, under the leadership of Michiel van Heek.

Copyright (2020)

Water Footprint Network, Water Footprint Implementation, Arjen Hoekstra & Mesfin Mekonnen

• Simplified water footprint calculator
• Extended waterfootprint calculator
• Water Footprint Assessment Tool

It may surprise you how much water is used to produce the food you eat, your clothing and other products. Use the Product Gallery to find out the volume of water consumed to produce the goods we rely on everyday. These values are based on global averages over a 10-year period, which means the same product will have a different water footprint depending on where, when and how it was produced.

The Product Gallery helps you learn about which products are more water intensive, which are less and how polluting their production is.

Water Footprint Network & Arjen Hoekstra

National water footprint explorer

When considering the water footprint of a particular country, we can consider both the water footprint of production and of consumption. To learn about the water footprint of all the products consumed by the people living in a country have a look at the National Water Footprint Explorer.

The water footprint of national consumption is the total amount of fresh water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the nation. It includes two components: the part of the footprint that falls inside the country (internal water footprint) and the part of the water footprint that falls in other countries (external water footprint). To get an idea of the water footprint of consumption for your country or others, go the National Water Footprint Explorer.

To learn about the water footprint of production for your country or others, go to the Water Footprint Assessment tool . To calculate your own personal water footprint (of consumption) try the Personal Water Footprint Calculator .

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Save Water: How to Reduce Your Water Footprint

Water is a finite resource, and you probably consume more than you think. here are the basics you need to know for reducing your water footprint..

Autor*in Rima Hanano , 07.10.23

We all use far more water than we realise. And, fresh water is a finite resource. Of the estimated 1.386 billion cubic kilometres of water on our planet, only 3 percent is fresh. And, just 1 percent is readily available, as the remainder is stored away as ice in glaciers or ice caps. Unlocking the secret to saving water is crucial to reducing our water footprint — and to do this, we must look at the ways we consume both direct and indirect water.

Direct vs. indirect water

Direct water is the water we see coming out of the tap. this is the freshwater we use each day for drinking, cooking, showering, washing dishes, clothes and for gardening, etc. indirect water is the water that is used to manufacture the goods that we consume and services that we use. it’s also all of the water that is made unusable by pollution or wasted by non-use. that includes all of the water used to grow the food that we eat, to produce the things we use in daily life — clothes, books and furniture — and the water needed to produce the energy we use..

While indirect water is “invisible”, we often use far more of it than we realise. In Europe, for example, the average person directly consumes around 124 litres per inhabitant per day — as drinking water, for washing clothes, bathing and watering plants. But the total water footprint, with direct and indirect water usage accounted for, is far, far higher. The global average amounts to 3.397 litres , with Europe’s water use lying clearly in the upper area of this margin, depending on where they live and their consumption habits.

Measuring water footprints can give us a clear picture of how water is used in today’s society, and help us come up with strategies for more sustainable water usage.

Some facts and figures about water use

• Water covers 70.9 percent of the planet’s surface
• 97 percent of that water is salt water
• Around the world, four billion people — almost two-thirds of the population — experience severe water scarcity for at least a month per year
• Water use is growing at twice the rate of population growth. Unless this trend is reversed and we come up with a way to share water fairly and sustainably throughout the planet, two-thirds of the global population will face water “stress” by 2025
• In the USA , the average water footprint per year per capita is twice the global average
• One kilogram of meat requires between 5,000 and 20,000 litres of water to produce, while one kilogram of wheat requires between 500 and 4,000 litres

Your water footprint calculator

The Water Footprint Network website offers an online calculator which estimates your personal water footprint, based on your country of residence and your patterns of consumption:

You can check out the extended individual water footprint calculator here.

How to reduce your water footprint

Broadly speaking, you can reduce your direct water footprint by:

• turning off the tap while brushing your teeth
• using water-saving toilets
• installing a water-saving showerhead
• taking shorter showers
• only washing your clothes when necessary
• fixing household leaks
• using less water in the garden and when cleaning
• not disposing of medicines, paints or other pollutants down the sink.

When it comes to reducing your indirect water footprint, there are a number of different approaches you can take.

The foods we eat make up a huge part of our personal water footprints, and implementing some of these changes could have knock-on benefits for your health too.

Examples include:

Eating less meat . Beef is one of the most water-intensive proteins, needing 15,000 litres of water per kilogram, followed by red meats in general. Other, less water-intensive proteins include pulses like beans, lentils and peas. Chicken has a much lower water footprint than beef, so if you’re not ready to become vegetarian or vegan just yet, giving up or just cutting back on red meat can help.

Switching coffee for tea . Cups of tea and coffee may look like they contain the same amounts of liquid, but producing coffee beans requires far more water than growing tea leaves (around 140 litres for a cup of coffee and around 34 litres for tea).

Cutting down on sugar. Drinking a bottle of cola actually consumes around two or three bathtubs full of water. Growing sugar cane uses a lot of water (and often water-polluting pesticides too), not to mention the water that goes into producing plastic packaging.

Eating less processed food. Water is required at every stage of food production — refining, processing, canning, packaging. Eating fresher food means consuming less water, sugar, salt, preservatives and chemicals.

Consuming more local produce. Producing a tank of petrol requires a lot of water, so reducing the amount of miles your food has to cover from farm to plate will also help save. And your food will be fresher and richer in vitamins too. Win-win!

Buying quality, not quantity. The clothes we wear use huge amounts of freshwater. Cotton fabrics and denim jeans are particularly greedy. Buy well-made clothes that are intended to last, rather than huge amounts of cheaply produced items that will need to be replaced. The same goes for any other consumer product, as practically all manufactured products — from electronics to books and cosmetics — consume water in the production process. Buying less will protect the world’s water supply — and your wallet.

The responsibility for cutting back on water consumption shouldn’t just lie with consumers, of course. For people to be able to make informed decisions about which options to choose, businesses need to be transparent about their processes, and governments more forward-thinking when it comes to regulation . When information is available on the impacts of a certain article on the water system, consumers can make conscious choices about what they buy. And if governments were to bring in water-saving measures, businesses would be incentivised or perhaps even obligated, to introduce water-saving measures.

The British Environment Secretary, for one, has recently unveiled an initiative aimed at promoting water efficiency among households across England as a crucial component of the broader initiative to foster green recovery from the pandemic. These plans are designed to harmonise the increasing pressure on national water resources with the objectives outlined in their 25-Year Environment Plan. The aim is to secure abundant and uncontaminated water sources and play a pivotal role in the government’s aim to achieve a net-zero status by 2050 (UK Gov, 2021). 

More tips for saving water at home

Install a foot tap. Rather than using the traditional, ubiquitous twist-knob taps, you can install a foot pedal which you press to control the flow of water. Using such pedals helps reduce water consumption by as much as 50 percent.

Attach a shower head to tap fittings. Installing a showerhead on your tap might sound a bit strange, but trust us on this one. It is a common misconception that high-pressure, high-volume water is needed to clean tough dirt and grease from dishes. In fact, what is more effective is using a wide water spray rather than heavy water volume which of course can be achieved through the use of a shower head. Fitting a water-saving showerhead to your tap will still give you enough water and spray to clean effectively, meaning you use less water even when washing the tough stuff.

Bring a bucket. A peek into any bathroom in Australia provides a handy water-saving tip from the inhabitants of the driest continent on the planet — place a bucket in the shower. These buckets are placed under the showerhead to catch all that excess water that normally goes down the drain while you wait for the water to heat up.

Treat your wastewater at home. Generally speaking, all that water that trickles down the drain after you use it can actually be a boon for the garden. Commonly referred to as wastewater (or blackwater and greywater), leftover water from the bathroom, kitchen and laundry is mixed with detergents, oil and dirt and is generally not appropriate for use in the garden in its waste form. However, with proper filtering and treatment, it can be highly beneficial for crops. 

Use eco-friendly cleaning products. Using biodegradable cleaners (i.e. natural items such as lemon, tea tree oil, baking soda and vinegar) as well as phosphate-free detergents also helps to reduce water consumption and is less harmful to the environment. Using them to clean uses less water than chemically-laden alternatives. One reason for this is the inclusion of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in many conventional cleaning products. SLS is generally used as a foaming agent, its foaming properties are triggered when coming into contact with water. These agents also need to be washed off any surface or item after use considering the harmful impact they have on human health. Compare this to using vinegar, which requires no water to offset its disinfecting properties and doesn’t need to be washed off a surface or item after it’s been used to clean (check out this site for the ultimate list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to using vinegar ). 

Update: Lana O’Sullivan / RESET Editorial (August 2023) 

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Ecology — Assessing My Ecological Footprint: A Journey Towards Sustainability

Assessing My Ecological Footprint: a Journey Towards Sustainability

• Categories: Ecology Environmental Ethics

About this sample

Words: 1163 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1163 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, measuring the ecological footprint, identifying the environmental impact, steps towards a sustainable footprint, works cited.

• Energy Efficiency: Transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind power and adopting energy-efficient technologies can significantly reduce my energy-related ecological footprint.
• Transportation Choices: Opting for eco-friendly transportation options, such as biking, walking, carpooling, or using public transit, can minimize the carbon emissions associated with personal vehicle use.
• Dietary Changes: Embracing a plant-based diet or reducing meat and dairy consumption can lower the environmental impact of my dietary choices, particularly the food-related portion of my ecological footprint.
• Waste Reduction: Prioritizing waste reduction through practices like recycling, composting, and minimizing single-use plastics can significantly reduce the waste-related aspect of my ecological footprint.
• Water Conservation: Implementing water-saving measures, such as using low-flow fixtures and reducing water wastage, can reduce my water footprint.
• Sustainable Consumer Choices: Being mindful of the environmental impact of products I purchase and opting for environmentally friendly options can reduce the goods and services portion of my ecological footprint.
• Eco-Friendly Housing: Making energy-efficient upgrades to my home, improving insulation, and using sustainable building materials can lower the housing-related aspect of my footprint.
• Carbon Offsetting: Supporting carbon offset programs and initiatives that sequester or reduce greenhouse gas emissions can help mitigate the impact of my carbon footprint.
• Wackernagel, M., & Rees, W. E. (1996). Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. New Society Publishers.
• Global Footprint Network. (n.d.). Ecological Footprint Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/
• National Geographic. (n.d.). Ecological Footprint. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ecological-footprint/
• Ewing, B., & Hawkins, T. R. (2008). Assessing the sustainability of products and processes: A framework and its applications. Environmental Science & Technology, 42(24), 7660-7665.
• WWF. (n.d.). Living Planet Report. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/living-planet-report-2020
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2018). Global warming of 1.5°C: Summary for policymakers. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/
• United Nations Development Programme. (2020). Human Development Report 2020: The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/indicators/137506
• Sustainable Development Solutions Network. (n.d.). SDG Index and Dashboards. Retrieved from https://sdgindex.org/
• United Nations Environment Programme. (2019). Emissions Gap Report 2019. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/emissions-gap-report-2019
• Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-materials-management-non-hazardous-materials-and-waste-management-hierarchy

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WHAT’S YOUR WATER FOOTPRINT?

It includes your tap water use and the “virtual water” used to produce your food, electricity, gas and home goods.

¿Cuál es su Huella Hídrica?

Earth Day 2024: Planet Vs. Plastic

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Born in 1970, Earth Day has evolved into one of the largest civic events of all time. When we observe the 54 th Earth Day on April 22, the health and safety of the planet couldn’t be timelier, especially when it comes to dealing with the proliferation of plastic.

Over the past 60 years, around eight billion tons of plastic has been produced, according to a recent study in the journal Science Advances — 90.5 per cent of which has not been recycled . As a result, this year’s Earth Day theme— “Planet vs. Plastic”— demands a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.

Just how big of a challenge is this? What type of numbers are we talking about? Here’s some perspective:

• In 1950, the world produced just two million tons of plastic. We now produce over 450 million tons .
• Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.
• P roduction is expected to double by 2050.
• More than one million plastic water bottles are sold every minute.
• Every year, about 11 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the ocean.
• Only 9% of plastics ever produced has been recycled.
• Plastics often contain additives that can extend the life of products, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

Plastic is literally everywhere

An advertisement from the American Plastics Council in a 1997 edition of the New Yorker suggested that plastic wrappers and containers were the “sixth food group” that were there to keep contaminates out of our food.

Close up shot of microplastics on a hand.

In a twisted type of irony, Microplastics are now in almost everything and everywhere. Even in in much of the food we eat and water we drink! Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic (from ½ inch to microscopic) is synthetic that never disappears. As Stephen Jamieson recently explained in a Future of Supply Chain podcast, “We're ingesting a credit card size worth of plastic every single week as humans, and the real health impacts of that, we don't truly know and don't truly understand.”

What is the world doing about it?

In the Podcast, Stephen discussed the upcoming fourth session of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee he is attending in Ottawa, Canada from 23rd to the 29th of April. The goal is to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, that will, as Stephen stated, “by early next year, actually ratify a new treaty at the United Nations to eliminate plastic pollution by 2040”.

What can businesses do about it?

Think about optimizing your entire supply chain for sustainability, rather than just individual functions.

For example, you may be pulling certain levers in your design processes, or manufacturing plants, only to realize that the sustainability gains in that process are offset by much a much larger negative impact on logistics or at the end of life of a product.

Perform Life Cycle Assessments on your products

A Life Cycle Assessment is a method for the compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle (ISO standard 14040).

In simple terms, it’s a way by which you can understand the sustainability footprint of a product throughout it’s full lifecycle, from “cradle to grave.”

By enabling product footprints periodically across the entire product lifecycle, you can gain insights on the environmental impacts of your products across the entire lifecycle for disclosure and internal product and process optimization.

Design with end of life in mind

As Earthday.org says, “We need to invest in innovative technologies and materials to build a plastic-free world”.

And this starts with how we design products and packaging material in the goods we manufacture and deliver. The sooner we phase out all single use plastics, the better. We need responsible design and production solutions that facilitate a product and package redesign that enables companies to engage in the circular economy and reduces waste without sacrificing quality.

Enforce compliance at each step of the product lifecycle

If you look at most companies’ website for their mission statement or purpose, sustainability is front and center. And supply chain sits right in the middle, both as a major contributor to the problem, and a major opportunity to improve.

But you can’t manage regulatory and sustainability requirements, track registrations and substance volumes, classify products, and create compliance documents, as well as package, transport, and store hazardous materials properly with accurate labeling you won’t be able to measure how you are performing.

This takes a stepwise approach to:

Record: The first step is to gather all necessary ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) data along the entire value chain. This data cannot be found easily in one single system. Currently this is a highly manual and therefore time consuming effort compounded by data quality challenges.

Report: There are more than 600 ESG frameworks/standards out there and they are being constantly developed further (Take the evolving plastics taxes across Europe for example). The requirements for companies are constantly changing. A high effort is required to keep up with the current requirements to report along the respective regulatory & voluntary frameworks.

Act: In many companies sustainability action is already happening but in many cases this this is still partly disjoint from the strategy or not yet covering all business processes

What can we as individuals do about it?

The reality is that everybody has a role to play in the “Planet vs. Plastics battle, and the sustainability of the planet in general.

Little things like using reusable bottles and straws and bringing reusable bags to the store are great first step.

You can also go to earthday.org to learn more about the battle between planet vs. plastics, and find an event near you where you can help clean up the planet.

Let’s make every day Earth Day, to protect this beautiful rock we live on for future generations.

To learn more, listen to The Future of Supply Chain Podcast – Earth vs. Planet .

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Deluge Batters U.A.E. and Oman, Killing 21

The heavy rains also flooded parts of Dubai International Airport, causing scores of flight delays and cancellations, and brought other cities in the U.A.E. to a standstill.

In photos and video

Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was flooded and shut down following the heaviest rain recorded in the country. Credit... Christopher Pike/Associated Press

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By Livia Albeck-Ripka

• April 17, 2024

A relentless deluge of rain battered the United Arab Emirates and Oman this week, killing 21 people, causing scores of delays and cancellations at Dubai’s airport and bringing other cities to a standstill in what experts have described as a weather system supercharged by climate change.

The deadly storm first hit Oman on Sunday, causing widespread flash flooding and turning streets into raging rivers in Muscat, the capital. Oman’s National Committee for Emergency Management said Thursday that rescuers were still searching for two missing people.

In the U.A.E., which experienced its largest rainfall in 75 years, one person died , in the city of Ras Al-Khaimah.

By Thursday, rains had subsided and Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, had resumed some flights, though delays persisted and there were some shortages of refreshments because flooded roads had impeded deliveries. The airport was expected to operate at full capacity by Friday, it said on social media.

Here are photos and video of the flooding:

Residents removed belongings from their homes in Dubai.

Traffic moved slowly along the gridlocked and flooded streets of Dubai.

Flooding caused Dubai’s highways to shut, after the U.A.E. experienced its largest rainfall event in 75 years on Tuesday.

Vehicles drive through standing floodwater in Dubai.

A residential community remained flooded on Thursday.

A man waded through standing floodwater in Dubai.

Stranded vehicles in Dubai.

A man carried luggage through floodwater on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

A year’s worth of rainfall fell on Dubai in a single day on Tuesday, leaving the city flooded the next day.

People pushing a car during heavy rainfall in Dubai.

Two men dragging a shopping cart through floodwaters in Dubai.

Cars remained submerged and stranded on Wednesday.

The heavy rains flooded parts of Dubai and led to scores of flight cancellations and delays.

Trucks pumping water from a street in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Submerged cars on a highway in Dubai.

Floodwaters raged through the streets in Al-Mudhaibi, Oman.

Wading through a street in Sharjah.

A car partly submerged in Dubai.

Dubai International Airport, where scores of flights were delayed or canceled in the wake of the deluge.

Jenny Gross contributed reporting.

Livia Albeck-Ripka is a Times reporter based in Los Angeles, covering breaking news, California and other subjects. More about Livia Albeck-Ripka

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