Global water and energy losses from consumer avoidable food waste

Food products require significant amounts of energy and water throughout their lifecycle, yet humanity wastes 1.3e9 tons of food on a yearly basis. A large part of this waste occurs during the consumption (post-retail) phase of the food system as avoidable food waste, the discarded edible (parts of) food products. In this study, we explore the...

Considering the Fate of Evaporated Water across Basin Boundaries - Implications for Water Footprinting

Water consumption along value chains of goods and services has increased globally and led to increased attention on water footprinting. Most global water consumption is accounted for by evaporation (E), which is connected via bridges of atmospheric moisture transport to other regions on Earth. However, the resultant source-receptor...

The water use of heating pathways to 2050: analysis of national and urban energy scenarios

Sustainable energy systems can only be achieved when reducing both carbon emissions and water use for energy generation. Although the water use for electricity generation has been well studied, integrated assessments of the water use by low-carbon heat systems are lacking. In this paper we present an analysis of the water use of scenarios for...

Appropriation of water: Exploring the impacts of global supply chain of cotton virtual water in Central India (Marathwada)

The phenomenon of ‘globalisation of water’ (A. Y. Hoekstra & Hung, 2005) talks about the importance of recognizing the adverse effects on local freshwater resources from a global perspective. The trade of water through the export and import of products results in ‘virtual water flows’ (Arjen Y. Hoekstra & Mekonnen, 2012), which leads to...

Water-saving scenarios based on input-output analysis and virtual water concept: A case in Iran

The strong desire for achieving self-sufficiency in developing and mostly water-scarce regions has endangered socioeconomic and environmental sustainability. South Khorasan is particularly exposed to such insecurities, largely due to its limited water resource endowments and its comparatively intensive agriculture. In this paper, we apply the...

Assessment of virtual water flows in Iran using a multi-regional input-output analysis

The growth of Iran's agricultural sector in the past few decades has exerted enormous pressure on its aquifers. There is a strong disparity between economic development and natural resource endowments, which threatens water and food security. In this paper, we used a multiregional input-output (MRIO) framework to assess the virtual water...

Virtual water flow and water footprint assessment of an arid region: A case study of South Khorasan province, Iran

Water challenges-especially in developing countries-are set to be strained by population explosion, growing technology, climate change and a shift in consumption pattern toward more water-intensive products. In these situations, water transfer in virtual form can play an important role in alleviating the pressure exerted on the limited water...

Assessment of agricultural water resources sustainability in arid regions using virtual water concept: Case of South Khorasan Province, Iran

Cropping pattern plays an important role in providing food and agricultural water resources sustainability, especially in arid regions in which the concomitant socioeconomic dangers of water shortage would be inevitable. In this research, six indices are applied to classify 37 cultivated crops according to Central Product Classification (CPC)....

City Blueprints: 24 Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of the Urban Water Cycle

Climate change, population growth and increased consumption, coupled with urbanization, are all placing increased pressure on water management. This global challenge can often best be addressed at the local level, e.g. in cities by optimizing the role of civil society. Although there are approaches for assessing the sustainability of countries...

The Combined Carbon and Water Footprint of Organizations

This thesis states the development of a theoretical framework for determining the combined carbon and water footprint of organizations. It consists of a conceptual model, the description of an applicable spreadsheet model and a six-step framework for general application.