New article: The Added Value of Water Footprint Assessment for National Water Policy: A Case Study for Morocco
Published on by Markus Pahlow, University of Canterbury - Senior Lecturer
Schyns JF, Hoekstra AY (2014) The Added Value of Water Footprint Assessment for National Water Policy: A Case Study for Morocco . PLoS ONE 9(6): e99705. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0099705
Abstract
A Water Footprint Assessment is carried out for Morocco, mapping the water footprint of different activities at river basin and monthly scale, distinguishing between surface- and groundwater. The paper aims to demonstrate the added value of detailed analysis of the human water footprint within a country and thorough assessment of the virtual water flows leaving and entering a country for formulating national water policy. Green, blue and grey water footprint estimates and virtual water flows are mainly derived from a previous grid-based (5×5 arc minute) global study for the period 1996-2005. These estimates are placed in the context of monthly natural runoff and waste assimilation capacity per river basin derived from Moroccan data sources. The study finds that: (i) evaporation from storage reservoirs is the second largest form of blue water consumption in Morocco, after irrigated crop production; (ii) Morocco's water and land resources are mainly used to produce relatively low-value (in US$/m3 and US$/ha) crops such as cereals, olives and almonds; (iii) most of the virtual water export from Morocco relates to the export of products with a relatively low economic water productivity (in US$/m3); (iv) blue water scarcity on a monthly scale is severe in all river basins and pressure on groundwater resources by abstractions and nitrate pollution is considerable in most basins; (v) the estimated potential water savings by partial relocation of crops to basins where they consume less water and by reducing water footprints of crops down to benchmark levels are significant compared to demand reducing and supply increasing measures considered in Morocco's national water strategy.
Link to article:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0099705
3 Comments
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Dear Ralf, I know of one study for Tunisia. Maybe it is of interest. Chouchane, H., Hoekstra, A.Y., Krol, M.S. and Mekonnen, M.M. (2013) Water footprint of Tunisia from an economic perspective, Value of Water Research Report Series No. 61, UNESCO-IHE. available at: www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Report61-WaterFootprintTunisia.pdf
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Thanks Markus for sharing this interesting analysis for Morocco. It would be great to have similar, standardized national assessments for more MENA countries that allows better comparison of socioeconomic development options for the countries.
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l'Allemagne est allée plus loin puisqu'elle a fait la même analyse en la complétant par la pollution du aux engrais chimiques. C'est effrayant mais cela ne sert à rien. Les agriculteurs continuent de mettre des engrais chimiques pour répondre aux besoins de production agronomique croissants. l'Allemagne a un avantage certain en rapport du Maroc qui lui est parfois en manque d'eau, elle gaspille l'eau et par cette surconsommation elle dissout la pollution chimique dans les milieux hydrauliques naturels internationaux. Germany went further since it made the same analysis by supplementing it by the pollution of with the chemical fertilisers. They is alarming but that is not used for nothing. The farmers continue to put chemical fertilisers to meet the increasing needs for agronomic production. Germany has an unquestionable advantage in report of Morocco which is to him sometimes in lack of water, it wastes water and by this overconsumption it dissolves chemical pollution in the natural hydraulic mediums international.