Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions

Much of the literature regarding virtual water and water footprints focuses on the potential water savings that might be realized when water-short countries import water-intensive agricultural goods from countries with larger water endowments. Some of the published estimates of potential national an...

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Autor principal: Wichelns, Dennis
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Informa UK Limited 2010
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40557
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author Wichelns, Dennis
author_browse Wichelns, Dennis
author_facet Wichelns, Dennis
author_sort Wichelns, Dennis
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Much of the literature regarding virtual water and water footprints focuses on the potential water savings that might be realized when water-short countries import water-intensive agricultural goods from countries with larger water endowments. Some of the published estimates of potential national and global water savings made possible through international trade are quite large and they do not reflect actual or potential opportunities to save water. Recent additions to the virtual water literature describe the pressure placed on water resources in one country by consumers of imported products in another. Some authors suggest that, through international trade, consumers are partly responsible for water resource problems in distant regions. Although one goal of virtual water analysis is to describe opportunities for improving water security, there is almost no mention of the potential impacts of the prescriptions arising from that analysis on farm households in industrialized or developing countries. It is essential to consider more carefully the inherent flaws in the virtual water and water footprint perspectives, particularly when seeking guidance regarding policy decisions.
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spelling CGSpace405572025-06-17T08:24:24Z Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions Wichelns, Dennis virtual water water footprint policy water conservation economic analysis water allocation water use water loss international trade Much of the literature regarding virtual water and water footprints focuses on the potential water savings that might be realized when water-short countries import water-intensive agricultural goods from countries with larger water endowments. Some of the published estimates of potential national and global water savings made possible through international trade are quite large and they do not reflect actual or potential opportunities to save water. Recent additions to the virtual water literature describe the pressure placed on water resources in one country by consumers of imported products in another. Some authors suggest that, through international trade, consumers are partly responsible for water resource problems in distant regions. Although one goal of virtual water analysis is to describe opportunities for improving water security, there is almost no mention of the potential impacts of the prescriptions arising from that analysis on farm households in industrialized or developing countries. It is essential to consider more carefully the inherent flaws in the virtual water and water footprint perspectives, particularly when seeking guidance regarding policy decisions. 2010-12 2014-06-13T14:47:54Z 2014-06-13T14:47:54Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40557 en Limited Access Informa UK Limited Wichelns, Dennis. 2010. Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 26(4):639-651. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2010.519494
spellingShingle virtual water
water footprint
policy
water conservation
economic analysis
water allocation
water use
water loss
international trade
Wichelns, Dennis
Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions
title Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions
title_full Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions
title_fullStr Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions
title_full_unstemmed Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions
title_short Virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions
title_sort virtual water and water footprints offer limited insight regarding important policy questions
topic virtual water
water footprint
policy
water conservation
economic analysis
water allocation
water use
water loss
international trade
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40557
work_keys_str_mv AT wichelnsdennis virtualwaterandwaterfootprintsofferlimitedinsightregardingimportantpolicyquestions