In order to better comprehend issues like water shortage or water pollution, it is fundamentall to consider production processes since water problems are often connected to a country’s economy. Faced with a serious water crisis, countries like Australia try to monitor national water plans in order to reduce water consumption as much as possible while still providing the needed water supply for the survival and well-being of the population. Before trying to elaborate a plan in order to control or change the water demand amongst the population, state officials should start by looking at the essence of the actual demand. For this reason, “national water use statistics should be extended in order to include full national water footprint accounts since this broadens the basis for the formulation of a national water plan” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/NationalWaterFootprint). In order for a national water project to be sustainable on the long term, a government needs to establish coherent national policies in all sectors involve. For instance, it is useless to establish a water plan it agriculture policies are not modified to respect the same coherent direction.

The water footprint of a nation can be defined as the total amount of water used to produce the goods and services consumed by the population of that nation. Considering that many goods that are consumed in a country are produced abroad, the water footprint of a nation is made out of the internal water footprint (water used inside the country) and the external water footprint (water used to produce a good abroad). In addition, there are three categories that can be found in a nation’s water footprint. The first is the blue water footprint, “the volume of freshwater that evaporated from the global blue water resources”. Second comes the green water footprint, “the volume of freshwater evaporate from the global green water resources (rainwater)” and finally the grey water foot print, “the volume of polluted water, calculated as the volume that is required to dilute pollutants to such an extent that the quality of the water remains about agreed water quality standards” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/NationalWaterAccountingFramework). Governments need to start by reducing the water footprint of their own structures and offices, in order to demonstrate the good example, so they can later work closely with industries in order to promote transparency and the need to raise social awareness amongst citizens.

Professor and expert, tell us that the  water footprint indicator permits “the attention to shift to the role of consumers and large food processors and retailers that process and sell final consumer goods” (Source: http://www.exploringgeopolitics.org/Interview_Hoekstra_Arjen_Virtual_Water_National_Footprints_Global_Economy_Value_Price_Pollution_Depletion_Management_Environment_Intensive_Exports_Imports.html). He puts the emphasis on the fact that each individual consumer and every company can have a tremendous impact on problems such as water depletion or pollution. He also reminds us that American citizens should make the biggest effort since the USA has the largest national footprint, per head it is double the world average! The main reason is due to the fact that Americans consume a lot of highly water-intensive goods, like meat. On the contrary, developing countries have a high water footprint not due to their large water consumption but because their agriculture methods are tremendously inefficient leading to a great waste of water.

So far, except for various debates and propositions, water remains a public resource, without any real market rules to establish trade price. Yet, it is important not to take it for granted because even if it seems endless and accessible water does have a very high value.  Treating water like it has no value leads to scarcity and other serious problems. Establishing a national water footprint is only the first step towards a more responsible and self-conscious attitude. The first step towards putting an end to the most avoidable natural crisis we could face.

The water footprint of a business can simply be defined as the entire volume of fresh water used directly and indirectly in order to keep a business running and alive.  A distinction needs to be made between the operational water footprint, “the direct water use by the business in its own operations” and the supply-chain water footprint “the water use in the business’s supply chain” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/CorporateWaterFootprintAccountingFramework).  Many companies who do not have a direct agriculture activity in itself but work with natural products like crop or milk, often have a supply-chain water footprint that is considerably larger than its operational footprint. Once the product is finalized and used by actual consumers, this part of the consumption is part of a usage water footprint calculated separately.

Looking at the water scarcity issue taking over the world, while businesses focus on increasing production and maximizing their profits, they often forget that sooner or later the same companies might have to deal with water shortage in their supply chains. In order to be forward-looking and business savvy, industries should transform the risk created by the issue of water scarcity around the world, into a potential opportunity: “frontrunners that create product transparency before other do, that formulate specific and measurable targets with respect to water footprint reduction, with special attention to areas where problems of water scarcity and pollution are most critical, can turn this into a competitive advantage” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/CorporateWaterFootprints). It is interesting to note that the supply-chain water footprint of most companies is greater than their water footprint on the front of their operational procedures. In this sense, it could be reasonable and more cost efficient for a firm to concentrate on reducing the use of water in their supply-chain in order to lower the cost of production and to contemporarily adopt a environmental-friendly attitude. Most firms seem to believe that having the appropriate water use license is enough; while this is not completely true. A valid suggestion is to “ look into the spatiotemporal details of the company’s water footprint, because details on where and when water is used can be used as input to a detailed water footprint sustainability” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/CorporateWaterFootprints). This process assures the company the possibility to clearly evaluate the direct economical and environmental impact in order to plan an appropriate business solution. Firms should also keep in mind that return water flows can be reused in other activities.

While it would be irrational to expect and demand to a firm to reduce completely its water usage both a valid alternative to be adopted by firms is the “Water neutral concept”. This concept encourages individuals and firms to pursue water conservation activities to make up for their daily water waste and water consumption activities. In order to compensate for activities that use a high water footprint, actors should invest their time and money into parallel water sustainable activities in order to “neutralize” the water waste. The strength of this concept “lies in its positive connotation, which may trigger communities and businesses to act where otherwise they might not have done so” (Source: http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/938/The_science_of_clean_water.html).  Clear standards and a measurement scale need to be implemented at the international level in order to be able to monitor the results that would serve as a greater incentive for corporations and offer them the possibility to see the concrete positive impact they are having on the environment.

This concept of water-neutral is still new and many questions need to be solved. Yet, this valid initiative has a strong value both from a corporate and environmentalist point of view. Every single individual company that accepts to be a part of the water-neutral concept counts as one small step towards making this a new business prerogative. Water scarcity and water pollution are one of the world’s most important problems that can be prevented. If the right mentality is implemented at the individual level and further on spread at the corporate level, with time and long-term commitment a positive change can happen.

H₂O Conserve Water Lessons:

Why a water curriculum?
Access to clean, reliable water sources is the new crisis of the 21st century considering that right this instant more than a billion people currently lack a clean and efficient drinking water supply.

While the United States has some of the world’s best water supplies, water restrictions, water quality problems, and conflicts over water rights is on the rise.

Once it will become operative,  the H₂O Conserve Water Lessons Curriculum will have four units designed to introduce students ranging from 4th through 12th grade to the uses and misuses of water, to the need for quality, its lack of availability and more importantly how water can be protected and conserved. The units will cover the following issues: Water and Food, Water and Energy, Household Water Use, and Bottled Water.

Each unit is a downloadable PDF and include the Lesson Text, a Multiple Choice Quiz, a Challenge Quiz, and a Topic Debate.

(source : http://www.h2oconserve.org/?page_id=51)

This curriculum will be interdisciplinary in nature and with the purpose of complementing  social studies, earth science, english, and humanities education. This way, from a very young age, the generations to come will be educated with a eco-green mentality aware of the importance of water and natural resources for the long term sustainability of our planet.

If accompanied by a weekly trip to the swimming pool, water lessons might just become your child’s favorite topic at a school. These lessons are educational yet fun and interactive while they also engage with basic and useful skills such as essay writing, reading and comprehension, chart interpretation and critical thinking. Who knows what is next? I bet a summer water day camp could become every child’s favorite!

Your individual water footprint is equal to the water required to produce the goods and services you consume on a daily basis. It will take you no time to use the extended water footprint calculator in order to assess your own water footprint. The calculations are based on the water requirements per unit of product as determined by your country of residence.

Note: put decimals behind a point, not a comma (e.g. write 1.5 and not 1,5).

Calculate your water footprint on

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=cal/WaterFootprintCalculator)

Personal water footprint calculator

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=102033079832981

Through the use of social networks, Siemens wanted to find out if Facebook users could save around 30 million gallons of water. The Siemens Water Technologies Division wanted to reach consumers in order to raise awareness about water conservation as part of their World Water Day celebration, March 22, 2010. In a world where internet and media systems have become interactive and a two way system of communication, Siemens made the right choice by reaching out to consumers when it  turned to Friend2Friend to help create the adequate Facebook application that could help spread the message.

“The Water Footprint Calculator, designed and developed by Friend2Friend, takes fans through a simple and easy-to-use quiz with engaging visual cues — like trees appearing when you indicate that you water your garden. The questionnaire assesses the user’s water footprint, provides tips for saving water, and asks the participant to commit to making changes that will save a specified amount of water. Quiz participation and water savings commitments are shared on the participant’s newsfeed with rich visuals and a call to action that evokes the environmentalist in every fan. This cool and water-wise app is intended to spread a wave of water-consciousness across Facebook” ( source: Siemens Water Footprint Calculator)

How many times have you logged into Facebook since this morning? Yeah, exactly what I thought, you don’t even remember,  right? Well, what are you waiting for, log back on and go get yourself the newest hip app! Support this refreshing initiative with just one click and remember to be self conscious about the choices you make when it comes to consumer goods or services because water sources are not endless wells.

First of all , we must think about a companies’ commitment: freshwater is a basic ingredient for their operations, while effluents may lead to pollution of the local hydrological ecosystem. Initially, public pressure has been the most important reason for sustainable business initiatives. Today, many companies recognize the corporate damage when failing to manage the freshwater issue. These risks  include damage to the corporate image, threat of increased regulatory control, financial risks caused by pollution, or insufficient freshwater availability for operations.

Freshwater of adequate quality is a prerequisite for human societies and natural ecosystems. The human use of freshwater is so large that competition among users occurs and water scarcity is a serious problem in several regions.

The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use. When we talk about a product (goods or services) it refers to the total volume of fresh water used to produce the product, summed over the various steps of the production chain. When we talk about individual or community,  it refers to the total volume of fresh water used in a direct or indirect way. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. The total “water footprint” of a nation is a useful indicator of a nation’s call on the global water resources and it is related to dietary habits of people.

Let’s take some examples:

I bet you had no idea that the production of one kilogram of beef requires 22 thousand liters of water!! This is something to think about the next time you join your buddies for a steak dinner on  Saturday night!  For all you coffee addicts (myself included), the cup of coffee you had this morning took 140 liters of water to be produced!

“The water footprint of China is about 775 cubic meters per year per capita. Only about 3% of the Chinese water footprint falls outside China. Japan, with a footprint of 1100 cubic meters per year per capita, has about 60% of its total water footprint outside the borders of the country, while the USA’s water footprint is 2600 cubic meter per year per capita”. (source:UNESCO-IHE-Water Footprint)

The water footprint concept is part of a larger family of concepts that have been developed in the environmental sciences over the past decade. A “footprint” in general has become known as a quantitative measure showing the appropriation of natural resources by human beings. The ecological footprint is a measure of the use of bio-productive space (hectares). The carbon footprint measures energy use in terms of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions (in tons). The water footprint measures water use (in cubic meters).

I told you reading this post took no time, it was sweet and short,  but hopefully you are now more informed. The image of a footprint is a symbolic way to represent nature, the wildlife and its undeniable bond to a supreme vital element: water. Calculating the water footprint is a simple way to raise awareness and to acknowledge the precious quality of water and the need to diminish its waste.

“People use lots of water for drinking, cooking and washing, but even more for producing things such as food, paper, cotton clothes, etc. The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use by a consumer or producer. A “water footprint” is defined as a spatial and temporal indicator of direct and indirect freshwater use.” (source:http://www.waterfootprint.org/downloads/WaterFootprintManual2009.pdf).

The water footprint accounting should be followed by a sustainability assessment phase in order to evaluate the water footprint from an environmental, social and economic point of view. This data will be extremely useful in order to develop with greater precision and accuracy eco-friendly businesses and community initiatives. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (BWBCSD) wishes to play an active role in facilitating the exchange of experience amongst corporate pilot testers in order to help perfect the next manual.

Members of the water project recognized the rapid increase of initiatives related to water measurement, impact evaluation, set settings, reporting and disclosure. The results were gathered in a comprehensive on-line report called Water for Business (2009). This is very much a learning journey: “Integrating water quantity and quality with time and place into a measurement of sustainable water use is a very complex challenge,” says James Griffiths, Managing Director of the Water Project.

“We hope to make best use of the diverse experiences that our partners will have when using the water footprint within different contexts and for different purposes. We aim to refine the methodology such that it best serves the various purposes that different sectors in society see for it”, says Derk Kuiper, Executive Director of the WFN.

If you have any comments, requirements, questions or advice, the WFN and WBCSD invite you to write your comments on this current manual at [email protected].

About the Water Footprint Network

WFN is a non-profit foundation striving to support the transition towards sustainable, fair and efficient use of fresh water resources worldwide by applying the “water footprint” concept. The network has more than 80 partners (January 2010) from all relevant stakeholders in water resources management. WFN aims to:

-       Promote the concept of ‘water footprint’ as an explicit indicator of direct and indirect water use for consumers and producers.

-       Increase the visibility and awareness of this project amongst communities, public offices, governments and citizens in order to create a major comprehension of how consumption goods and services directly relate to water use and impact on our fresh water systems.

-       Advocate forms of water governance in order to diminish negative ecological and social impact on countries and local communities.

Source: (http://www.wbcsd.org/Plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?DocTypeId=251&ObjectId=MzczNjg)

To find out more about the Water Footprint initiative,  read our post under the Water Footprint category.