Did You Know About Water Footprint?
Water is in every aspect of our lives. Water is used in the production of the shirt we wear, the glass we buy, meat or vegetables, everything we eat. In addition to these, water is of vital importance in processes such as product production and waste management in any sector. Do you know how much water is consumed in the production of the things we use, that is, what is the water footprint?
The concept of water footprint, first introduced by Arjen Hoekstra at UNESCO-IHE in 2002, is the amount of water used to produce each of the goods and services we use. This concept; The manufacturing process of any product can be measured for a product, the fuel we put in our car, or an entire company. The water footprint, which is an indicator of fresh water use, does not only mean the water we use as a producer or consumer, but also expresses the sum of the water we consume indirectly. The water footprint allows us to answer a wide range of questions for companies, governments and individuals, such as:
- Where is the water dependency in my company’s operations or supply chain?
- How good are the regulations that protect our water resources?
- How safe are our food or energy sources?
- Can I do something to reduce my own water footprint and help us manage water for both people and nature?
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Depending on the question we ask, the water footprint can be measured in cubic meters per tonne of production, cultivated area per hectare, per currency unit, and other functional units. The water footprint helps us understand the purposes for which our limited freshwater resources are being consumed and polluted. Its effect depends on where and when the water is taken. If the water taken comes from a place where water is already scarce, it is necessary to think about the possible consequences in advance.
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How many types of water footprints are there?
There are three types of water footprint: green, blue and gray. Green and blue denote water consumption, gray denotes pollution on the water.
Direct and indirect water use
water footprint; a process’s product, company, or industry’s use of water, both directly and indirectly. It includes water consumption and pollution throughout the entire production cycle, from the supply chain to the end user. It is also possible to use the water footprint to measure the amount of water needed to produce all the goods and services consumed by an individual, community, nation or entire humanity. This also includes the direct water footprint, which is the water directly used by the person(s), and the indirect water footprint, which is the sum of the water footprints of all products consumed.
water footprint in numbers
water footprint; can be calculated at the scale of product, business, country and individual. The water footprint of a product is the amount of water consumed and polluted in all processes of its production. A business’s water footprint is a measurement of the total water consumed to produce the goods and services it provides. A nation’s water footprint can be analyzed from two aspects, production and consumption. The water footprint of production is the amount of local water resources used to produce goods and services within the country. The water footprint of consumption is calculated for all goods and services consumed by people living in a country. An individual water footprint is the amount of water we consume in our daily life. This includes growing the food we eat, producing the energy we use, and water used for all products in our daily lives.
