How can trade benefit an increasingly water scarce world?

Contribution to International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development

http://ictsd.org/i/news/bioresreview/150546/

by Kate Ziemba of Bren School of Environmental Sciences and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)

related to this, see also:

Steen-Olsen, K., Weinzettel, J., Cranston, G., Ercin, A.E. and Hertwich, E.G. (2012) Carbon, land, and water footprint accounts for the European Union: Consumption, production, and displacements through international trade, Environmental Science and Technology, 46(20): 10883-10891.

available at:

http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Steen-Olsen-et-al-2012.pdf

Hoekstra, A.Y. and Mekonnen, M.M. (2012) The water footprint of humanity, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(9): 3232-3237.

available at:

http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Hoekstra-Mekonnen-2012-WaterFootprint-of-Humanity.pdf

Fader, M., Gerten, D., Thammer, M., Heinke, J., Lotze-Campen, H., Lucht, W. and Cramer, W. (2011) Internal and external green-blue agricultural water footprints of nations, and related water and land savings through trade, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15(5): 1641-1660.

available at:

http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Fader-et-al-2011.pdf

Aldaya, M.M., Allan, J.A. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2010) Strategic importance of green water in international crop trade, Ecological Economics, 69(4): 887-894.

available at:

http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Aldaya-Allan-Hoekstra-2010.pdf

Chapagain, A.K. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2008) The global component of freshwater demand and supply: An assessment of virtual water flows between nations as a result of trade in agricultural and industrial products, Water International 33(1): 19-32.

available at:

http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/ChapagainHoekstra-2008-GlobalVirtualWaterFlows.pdf

Chapagain, A.K., Hoekstra, A.Y., and Savenije, H.H.G. (2006) Water saving through international trade of agricultural products, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 10(3): 455-468.

available at: http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Chapagain_et_al_2006.pdf

3 Answers

1. What will 'virtual water' mean for trade? Governments around the world are starting to take note of the amount of water needed to grow certain crops. Ben Goldfarb looks on "Forum for the Future" at the potential impact on exports: http://www.forumforthefuture.org/greenfutures/articles/what-will-virtual-water-mean-trade

2. "There will not be enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected 9 billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations," the report by Malik Falkenmark and colleagues at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) said. So, i guess one has to calculate the water trade carefuly for their country.

3. The cost of water itself should do much to increase prices and cut down on consumption. It will also severely curtail outsourced manufacturing to developing countries because their cost of water, including transport and treatment, will be much higher than developed nations with established infrastructure.