A multi-region input-output model for optimizing virtual water trade flows in agricultural crop production

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen B. Aviso ◽  
Sed Anderson K. Holaysan ◽  
Michael Angelo B. Promentilla ◽  
Krista Danielle S. Yu ◽  
Raymond R. Tan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Trade Flows ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Virtual Water Trade ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Productivity

Purpose The onset of climate change is expected to result in variations in weather patterns which can exacerbate water scarcity issues. This can potentially impact the economic productivity of nations as economic activities are highly dependent on water especially for agricultural countries. In response to this, the concepts of virtual water and water footprint have been introduced as metrics for measuring the water intensity of products, services and nations. Researchers have thus looked into virtual water trade flows as a potential strategy for alleviating water scarcity. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Environmentally extended input-output models (IOMs) are often used to analyze interactions between economic and ecological systems. This work thus develops a multi-regional input-output model for optimizing virtual water trade between different geographic regions in consideration of local environmental resource constraints, product demands and economic productivity. Findings A case study on agriculture crop production and trade in different regions of the Philippines is utilized to demonstrate the capabilities of the model. The results show that the optimal strategy does not necessarily limit a water-scarce region to produce less water-intensive crops. Research limitations/implications The model uses an input-output framework whose fixed coefficients reflect a fixed technological state. As such, the model is best used for short-term projections, or projections for mature technological state (i.e. where no major gains in efficiency or yield can be foreseen). Practical implications The proposed modeling framework can be used in any geographic region (provided relevant statistical data are available for calibration) to provide decision support for optimal use of limited water resources. Originality/value The model proposed in this work has general applicability to the optimal planning of agro-industrial systems under water footprint constraints. This modeling approach will be particularly valuable in the future, as climate change causes changes in precipitation patterns and water availability.

scholarly journals Applying input-output analysis method for calculation of water footprint and virtual water trade in Gansu Province

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (20) ◽  
pp. 6481-6488 ◽  
Author(s):  
蔡振华 CAI Zhenhua ◽  
沈来新 SHEN Laixin ◽  
刘俊国 LIU Junguo ◽  
赵旭 ZHAO Xu
Keyword(s):  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Output Analysis ◽  
Virtual Water Trade ◽  
Input Output Analysis

scholarly journals Virtual water trade flows and savings under climate change

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 3219-3234 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Konar ◽  
Z. Hussein ◽  
N. Hanasaki ◽  
D. L. Mauzerall ◽  
I. Rodriguez-Iturbe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Hydrologic Model ◽  
Trade Flows ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Virtual Water Trade ◽  
Food Trade ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The international trade of food commodities links water and food systems, with important implications for both water and food security. The embodied water resources associated with food trade are referred to as "virtual water trade". We present the first study of the impact of climate change on global virtual water trade flows and associated savings for the year 2030. In order to project virtual water trade and savings under climate change, it is essential to obtain projections of both bilateral crop trade and the virtual water content of crops in each country of production. We use the Global Trade Analysis Project model to estimate bilateral crop trade under changes in agricultural productivity for rice, soy, and wheat. We use the H08 global hydrologic model to determine the impact of climatic changes to crop evapotranspiration for rice, soy, and wheat in each country of production. Then, we combine projections of bilateral crop trade with estimates of virtual water content to obtain virtual water trade flows under climate change. We find that the total volume of virtual water trade is likely to go down under climate change, due to decreased crop trade from higher crop prices under scenarios of declining crop yields and due to decreased virtual water content under high agricultural productivity scenarios. However, the staple food trade is projected to save more water across most climate change scenarios, largely because the wheat trade re-organizes into a structure where large volumes of wheat are traded from relatively water-efficient exporters to less efficient importers.

Water Footprint and Virtual Water Trade of Cash Crops

2021 ◽  
pp. 174-194
Author(s):  
Sunakshi Budhiraja ◽  
Sukanya Das ◽  
Badri Narayanan Gopala Krishnan
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Virtual Water Trade ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
Viable Solution ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
Opening Up

Virtual water flows (VWF) among states or countries have been proposed as a viable solution to mitigate water scarcity. The aim of this study is to assess the virtual water content and flows from India, for six cash crops, coffee, cotton, jute, sugarcane, tea, and tobacco, and their derived products over a period 1980-2013. The virtual water trade (VWT) estimates across three time periods show India to be a net exporter of virtual water for all the cash crops, except jute. The quantity of virtual water traded has increased over the decades with the increase in the quantum of crops traded. With free trade policies and the opening up of the economy, export quantities increased during the 1990s and the period thereafter, leading to larger virtual water exports. Sustainable agricultural practices for all crops, and in all countries, can help in reducing the water flow of these crops and help in controlling the water scarcity solution.

scholarly journals Insights on Water and Climate Change in the Greater Horn of Africa: Connecting Virtual Water and Water-Energy-Food-Biodiversity-Health Nexus

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6483
Author(s):  
Hubert Hirwa ◽  
Qiuying Zhang ◽  
Yunfeng Qiao ◽  
Yu Peng ◽  
Peifang Leng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Ahp Model ◽  
Greater Horn Of Africa

Water is the key limiting factor in socioeconomic and ecological development, but it is adversely affected by climate change. The novel virtual water (VW) concept and water, energy, food, biodiversity, and human health (WEFBH) nexus approach are powerful tools to assess the sustainability of a region through the lens of climate change. Climate change-related challenges and water are complex and intertwined. This paper analyzed the significant WEFBH sectors using the multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model. The AHP model demonstrated quantitative relationships among WEFBH nexus sustainability indicators in the Greater Horn of Africa countries. Besides, the net VW imports and water footprints of major staple crops were assessed. The composite WEFBH nexus indices varied from 0.10 to 0.14. The water footprint of crops is increasing period by period. The results also revealed that most countries in the study area are facing WEFBH domains unsustainability due to weak planning or improper management strategies. The strong policy constancy among the WEFBH sector is vital for dissociating the high-water consumption from crop production, energy, environmental, and human health system. Thus, this study enhances insights into the interdependencies, interconnectedness, and interactions of sectors thereby strengthening the coordination, complementarities, and synergies among them. To attain sustainable development, we urgently call all public and private entities to value the amount of VW used in their daily activities and design better policies on the complex WEFBH nexus and future climate change.

scholarly journals Virtual water trade flows and savings under climate change

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Konar ◽  
Z. Hussein ◽  
N. Hanasaki ◽  
D. L. Mauzerall ◽  
I. Rodriguez-Iturbe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Hydrologic Model ◽  
Trade Flows ◽  
Virtual Water Trade ◽  
Food Trade ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The international trade of food commodities links water and food systems, with important implications for both water and food security. The embodied water resources associated with food trade are referred to as "virtual water trade". We present the first study of the impact of climate change on global virtual water trade flows and associated savings for the year 2030. In order to project virtual water trade under climate change, it is essential to obtain projections of both bilateral crop trade and the water-use efficiency of crops in each country of production. We use the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) to estimate bilateral crop trade flows under changes in agricultural productivity. We use the H08 global hydrologic model to estimate the water-use efficiency of each crop in each country of production and to transform crop flows into virtual water flows. We find that the total volume of virtual water trade is likely to go down under climate change. However, the staple food trade is projected to save more water across most climate impact scenarios, largely because the wheat trade re-organizes into a more water-efficient structure. These findings indicate that trade may be an adaptation measure to climate change with ramifications for policy.

scholarly journals Virtual Water Flow and Water Footprint Assessment of an Arid Region: A Case Study of South Khorasan Province, Iran

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehsan Qasemipour ◽  
Ali Abbasi
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Arid Region ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
South Khorasan

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 resources—especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This study aims to quantify the 10-year average of virtual water trade and the water footprint within South Khorasan—the third largest province in Iran—for both crops and livestock products. The virtual water content of 37 crops and five livestock is first estimated and the water footprint of each county is consequently measured using a top-down approach. The sustainability of the current agricultural productions is then assessed using the water scarcity (WS) indicator. Results of the study show that in spite of the aridity of the study area, eight out of 11 counties are net virtual water exporters. Birjand—the most populous county—is a net virtual water importer. The 10-year average water footprint of the region is measured as 2.341 Gm3 per year, which accounts for 2.28% of national water footprint. The region’s average per capita water footprint however, with 3486 m3, is 115% higher than the national ones. Crop production and livestock production are responsible for 82.16% and 17.84% of the total water footprint. The current intensive agricultural practices in such an arid region have resulted in a water scarcity of 206%—which is far beyond the sustainability criteria. This study gives the water authorities and decision-makers of the region a picture of how and where local water resources are used through the food trade network. The generated information can be applied by the regional policymakers to establish effective and applicable approaches to alleviate water scarcity, guarantee sustainable use of water supplies, and provide food security

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