Volumetric water footprints, applied in a global context, do not provide insight regarding water scarcity or water quality degradation

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• 作者：Dennis Wichelns ^{dwichelns@csufresno.edu}
• 关键词：Food security ; Livelihoods ; Health ; Sustainability ; Efficiency ; Equity
• 刊名：Ecological Indicators
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：March 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：74
• 期：Complete
• 页码：420-426
• 全文大小：697 K
• 卷排序：74

文摘

Many authors have presented estimates of volumetric water footprints in the context of describing and comparing the water requirements of crop production and industrial activities. In recent years, water footprints have been proposed as indicators for use in assessing the sustainability, efficiency, and equity of water allocations in a global context. That perspective is notably ambitious, given that volumetric water footprints contain information pertaining to just one resource, with no consideration of scarcity values, opportunity costs, or the impacts of water use on the environment, livelihoods, or human health. The suggestion that water scarcity must be assessed from a global perspective also is misplaced. Water scarcity and water quality degradation arise in local and regional settings. The impacts and potential remedies must be evaluated at those levels, by scientists and public officials charged with determining the policies and investments needed to ensure wise use of water resources. Efforts to extend access to clean, safe, and affordable water to the millions of households lacking such access also must be designed and implemented locally. Public officials will not gain useful insight by comparing volumetric water footprints in a global context. Water scarcity and water quality degradation cannot be resolved by reorganizing production activities across river basins and continents.