Abstract

PARADA-PUIG, Gabriela. Virtual water: concepts and implications. Orinoquia [online]. 2012, vol.16, n.1, pp.69-76. ISSN 0121-3709.

Water is one of the most preciousresources available to life on our planet. It is an essential, limited resourcewhich is currently endangered and whose availability is becoming ever morecritical, leading to geopolitical conflicts or changes in internal policyregarding its production and trading in many countries. An important aspectregarding the attention which should be paid to this resource is represented byquantifying its reserves and their use, abuse and contamination directlyresulting from human activity. Theconcept of "virtual water" was thus introduced during the1990s to account for water being consumed, for example, throughout the wholeprocess of agricultural production and added it to the final product as virtualwater contained in it compared to traditional indicators, as water use is notreflected in a final product. This indicator then allowed agricultural items tobe compared regarding a crop"s geographical location, water use efficiency,etc, and allowed more relevant decisions to be taken about allocating waterresources for efficient or priority uses. The idea of "water footprint"arose from this concept; it is an indicator accounting for all virtual watercontained in the products being consumed by an individual or group ofconsumers, a geographically bounded area or a business/company, as well asaccounting for the water necessary for diluting contamination associated with aparticular production process. Thepresent article"s main objective is to present a review of the conceptsconcerning virtual water and water footprint as these are innovative indicatorsfor quantifying human appropriation of water resources. They broaden thepanorama of worldwide water consumption, leading to discussion at moreinterdisciplinary levels, highlighting and somewhat clarifying the effect ofmarket economics and globalisation on natural resources, emphasising waterresources" availability and use.

Keywords : virtualwater; globalisation; water footprint; water footprint; water resources; agricultural sector.

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