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Virtual water exerts an essential effect on water resources, yet such effect is rarely considered in current studies on water rights allocation in transboundary rivers. Hence, this paper ran a case study on Taihu Lake Basin, collecting data from 2017 to make clear the physical water rights of four regions—Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, and Shanghai City—in the Basin. After that, the multiregional input–output (MRIO) approach was utilized to measure the trade in value-added (TiVA) transfer and virtual water transfer (VWT) and construct an inequality index of VWT (VWI). Next, water efficiency coefficient was employed to convert the VWT into riparian level. Finally, VWT and VWI were incorporated into the water rights allocation model to form up a water rights allocation scheme for Taihu Lake Basin. Results showed: (1) Jiangsu enjoys the most allocated physical water rights, followed by Zhejiang, and Anhui ranks the lowest; (2) Anhui and Jiangsu are net virtual water exporters (2.259 billion m3 and 1.78 billion m3, respectively), while Zhejiang and Shanghai are net importers (2.344 billion m3 and 1.695 billion m3, respectively); (3) Anhui suffers the most inequality—0.4401—followed by 0.5076 of Jiangsu, while Zhejiang has the most equal environment—0.7012; (4) after the inclusion of virtual water, the quantity of water rights allocation changes, whereas Anhui experiences the largest growth—144 million m3—due to the dual effects from the highest VWT and inequality. In conclusion, the effect of virtual water is indispensable, so VWT and VWI should both be considered in the physical water rights allocation of transboundary rivers.

To achieve food security goals, water accounting seems to be one of the most powerful tools to deal with water scarcity management. Thus, indicators, such as virtual water and water productivity, can be considered complementary rather than competing indicators to assess water demand efficiency use. Water computation is, therefore, a crucial tool to understand the overall tendency of water consumption and to assist the decision makers in their decisional process about water efficiency use in different phases of production. In this perspective, this paper aims to evaluate water use throughout the value chain of the olive oil sector, which is the first strategic agro-industrial sector in Tunisia. This evaluation will be undertaken while taking into account various crucial issues concerning the main two production phases in terms of the importance of water consumption (agriculture and processing phase). In the agriculture phase, the rainfed and irrigated modes will be compared, and in the processing phase, three different processing systems will be evaluated. Thirty surveys with farmers and nine surveys with olive oil mill owners were undertaken in the arid region of Sfax: one of the most important olive oil producers in Tunisia. The results show the importance of the theoretical framework adopted in clarifying the state of water consumption in a strategic sector, such as the Tunisian olive oil sector. In addition, the different calculated indicators highlight the importance of the application of a whole technical package and a controlled and efficient use of water to improve the economic profitability and the necessity to revise the irrigated olive growing extensions’ policies under arid conditions. In addition, in the processing phase, the continuous-two phase system is emphasized as the most relevant system in terms of water efficiency use. This system is proposed to be encouraged by policy makers in future olive mill installations.

As a water-scarce country and the world’s largest trader of industrial products, China’s industrial virtual water (VW) flow may exacerbate its water scarcity problem. Thus, industrial VW flows’ spatial and temporal evolution in international trade should be analyzed, and influencing factors must be identified. This study developed the multiregional input–output (MRIO) model, combined with the Leontief inverse matrix, to measure and decompose the industrial VW flows between China and other economies from 2000 to 2014. This extended MRIO model considers intermediate production water consumption and indirect water use, which technically distinguishes the sources of pressure on water use more accurately, thus enabling a new elaboration of the composition of China’s industrial water use. Then, the evolution of China’s industrial VW trade is analyzed spatiotemporally, and the structural decomposition analysis (SDA) method is invoked to identify the endogenous drivers further. The results indicate the following. (1) China was a net exporter of industrial VW trade. The main VW export sectors in China were the manufacture of textiles and wearing apparel, paper products, and chemical products, which had the characteristics of high water consumption, high pollution, and low added value, respectively. (2) The net exports of industrial VW from China mainly went to the US, EU, ROW (rest of the world), and Japan. China’s VW exports to the US and Japan are declining, while exports to the EU and Russia are increasing. (3) The decrease in the water-use coefficient in all industrial sectors in China was the most critical reason for inhibiting the increase in the country’s industrial VW exports. The export structure effect of intermediate products, product structure effect of foreign final demand, and scale effect of foreign final demand were the primary reasons for the rise in VW exports, but all gradually diminished. Moreover, the structural effects of China on the use of domestic intermediate products had a significant positive effect on the increase in VW exports. In contrast, those of foreign products had an extremely weak effect.

We present evidence that international trade may exacerbate the initial unequal distribution of hydric resources. This result is driven by the fact that countries exporting agricultural goods are relatively abundant (with respect to capital) in the combined availability of water and arable land but, in absolute terms, scarce in capital and not richer in water in comparison to more developed ones. Due to both the scarcity of capital and the lower relative price of natural resources with respect to capital, the total value of production in these developing countries is modest, implying that international trade can lead to a less even distribution of the water content of consumption. Policies sustaining water prices and, more generally, those of natural resources (or lower capital costs) may contribute to offsetting this effect and allow for trade to play a positive role in reducing the uneven distribution of water endowments.

Water consumption, energy use, and carbon emission are three related key anthropogenic impacts on the natural environment. China is the largest carbon emitter and energy consumer, with the serious unevenly distributed water resources. Therefore, investigating the water–energy–carbon (WEC) nexus is important for China's environmental footprint reduction. This study explores the relation between water utilization, energy consumption, and carbon emission in China, based on a multiregional input–output (MRIO) analysis. The WEC nexus is discussed comprehensively in consideration of the utilization of water and energy and the emission of carbon, as well as the trade to and from and the consumption activities in different sectors and provinces. Results show that water, energy, and carbon present significant consistency in production and consumption processes. Sectors with higher consumption coefficients dominate the transfer of virtual WEC. Although virtual WEC mainly transfers from less developed regions to relatively developed regions, Category 1 (i.e., WEC all import) and category 2 (i.e., WEC disaccord) present opposite results to and category 3 (i.e., WEC all export) provinces in terms of W–E and W–C nexus. The net water and energy transfers are significantly positively correlated in category 1 provinces, whereas both sides are negatively correlated in category 2 and 3 provinces. This phenomenon also exists in the relationship between net water and carbon transfers. The virtual water, as well as energy and carbon export pressures are dispersed in these export provinces. Findings of this study are expected to assist the government in decreasing the environmental footprints and achieve sustainable development in China.

The object of this study is the process that forms conceptual foundations for managing the impact of virtual water deficiency risks on the global food crisis. The main idea of the study focuses on determining the consequences of the global food crisis in the world under the influence of a significant reduction in virtual water exports from Ukraine to agri-food markets. It is determined that most likely, in the context of the replacement of Ukrainian exports of grain and agricultural products as a result of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the countries of the world will resort to new ways of obtaining effective imports of virtual water from other countries. The study proved that rapid structural changes in the economies of the countries of the world and the reorientation of their national economies towards the development of the agricultural sector under modern conditions of global uncertainty would inevitably lead to certain consequences. Namely, either to the fall in the growth rate of national economies, or to the state of the "bifurcation explosion" with the subsequent dispersion of possible states of development. The proposed scientific and methodological approach to assessing the sustainability of the systemic development of the territory over time for water-intensive regions makes it possible to take calculated decisions at the national level regarding the scale and prospects for the development of economic activities in the state. The described theoretical and methodological foundations of the interdependence of water and food security and the developed fundamental provisions of the economies of countries under the conditions of the global food crisis and the risk of a shortage of virtual water will create the following opportunities. Specifically, they enable state authorities to assess the depth of the specified crisis in the world and its consequences for all countries in 2022–2023. Such an understanding creates the conditions for making effective decisions on the volume of import of virtual water in a particular country, Об’єктом дослідження є процес формування концептуальних основ до управління впливом ризиків дифіциту віртуальної води на глобальну продовольчу кризу. Основна ідея дослідження сконцентрована на визначенні наслідків глобальної продовольчої кризи у світі під впливом значного скорочення експорту віртуальної води з України на агропродовольчі ринки. Визначено, що найбільш вірогідно, в умовах заміни українського експорту зернових та сільськогосподарської продукції, внаслідок російської агресії в Україні, країни світу вдадуться до пошуку нових шляхів отримання ефективного імпорту віртуальної води від інших країн. В дослідженні доведено, що стрімкі структурні зміни в економіках країн світу та переорієнтація їх національних економік у напрямку розвитку аграрного сектора в сучасних умовах глобальної невизначеності неминуче призведуть до певних наслідків. А саме, або до падіння темпів зростання національних економік, або до стану «біфуркаційного вибуху» з наступним розсіюванням можливих станів розвитку. Запропонований науково-методичний підхід до оцінки стійкості системного розвитку території у часі для водоємних регіонів дає можливість приймати прораховані рішення на національному рівні щодо масштабів та перспектив розвитку видів господарської діяльності на території держави. Описані теоретико-методологічні засади взаємозалежності водної і продовольчої безпеки та розроблені принципові положення господарювання країн в умовах глобальної продовольчої кризи та ризику дефіциту віртуальної води створють наступні можливості. А саме, дають можливість державним органам влади оцінити глибину зазначеної кризи в світі та її наслідки для усіх країн світу у 2022–2023 рр. Таке розуміння створює умови для прийняття ефективних рішень щодо кількості імпорту віртуальної води в своїй країні

The object of this study is the process that forms conceptual foundations for managing the impact of virtual water deficiency risks on the global food crisis. The main idea of the study focuses on determining the consequences of the global food crisis in the world under the influence of a significant reduction in virtual water exports from Ukraine to agri-food markets. It is determined that most likely, in the context of the replacement of Ukrainian exports of grain and agricultural products as a result of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the countries of the world will resort to new ways of obtaining effective imports of virtual water from other countries. The study proved that rapid structural changes in the economies of the countries of the world and the reorientation of their national economies towards the development of the agricultural sector under modern conditions of global uncertainty would inevitably lead to certain consequences. Namely, either to the fall in the growth rate of national economies, or to the state of the "bifurcation explosion" with the subsequent dispersion of possible states of development. The proposed scientific and methodological approach to assessing the sustainability of the systemic development of the territory over time for water-intensive regions makes it possible to take calculated decisions at the national level regarding the scale and prospects for the development of economic activities in the state. The described theoretical and methodological foundations of the interdependence of water and food security and the developed fundamental provisions of the economies of countries under the conditions of the global food crisis and the risk of a shortage of virtual water will create the following opportunities. Specifically, they enable state authorities to assess the depth of the specified crisis in the world and its consequences for all countries in 2022–2023. Such an understanding creates the conditions for making effective decisions on the volume of import of virtual water in a particular country

Multiple factors need to be considered when allocating water resources, among which water scarcity risk is often ignored. However, the unmet water demand of upstream sectors with high water dependency will exacerbate water scarcity, and lead to potential economic risk to the industrial chain. To solve it, we propose a method to quantify the intermediate virtual water scarcity risk transfer via the intermediate use matrix and Leontief inverse matrix, and apply it to virtual water trade in China in 2018. Meaningful conclusions are drawn as follows: (i) Although the water-use efficiency of all sectors in China increased steadily from 2007 to 2018, the overall input concentration of virtual water scarcity risk showed a rising trend, reflecting the gradual increase in the vulnerability of the industrial chain to water shortage. (ii) The virtual water scarcity risk in China mainly transferred through the secondary industry. The secondary industry accounted for 51.8% of the output and 71.8% of the input in the intermediate virtual water transfer, while 77.0% and 74.7%, respectively, in intermediate virtual water scarcity risk output and input. (iii) From 2007 to 2018, agriculture, chemical industry, metallurgy, electricity and heat supply always ranked as the top four of intermediate virtual water scarcity risk output sectors. As their downstream sectors, the construction industry, metallurgy, and other services are stable within the top four input sectors. (iv) The virtual water scarcity risk upstream transmitted is significantly dispersed after the intermediate inputs process, indicating that abundant import relationships are conducive to reduce the risk taken in. From the perspective of intermediate input, this paper argues that it is necessary to both ensure the water supply of the upstream source sectors and disperse the downstream import sources. Moreover, enriching industrial structures and closing production linkages between sectors is also beneficial for promoting sustainable economic development.

Funding Information: This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China [grant number 2017YFA0603704 ], the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [grant number XDA20100104 ], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 42101025 ], and the SUSTech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors Water scarcity, a threat to the sustainable development of human society, is determined mainly by water resource endowment and human water withdrawals. International trade may affect national water withdrawal, indirectly influencing nationwide water scarcity. However, most previous studies could not disentangle the indirect water consumption for local consumption and international trade purposes, failing to assess the sole impact of trade on water scarcity. Here, we developed an improved Falkenmark indicator to separate the effect of trade-related water withdrawal on water scarcity. Results show that international trade alleviates water scarcity for 2.2 billion people in high and upper-middle income countries. However, it aggravates water scarcity for 2.1 billion people in low and lower-middle income countries, of which almost all countries are already facing water scarcity and some even are of severe scarcity. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the primary product and food sectors contribute most significantly to intensifying and alleviating water scarcity, respectively. Hence, much greater attention needs to be paid to low and lower-middle income water-scarce countries since international trade could make these countries drier, which is becoming more important to improve the sustainability of global water resources management with a changing climate.

The distillery sector is among the biggest industrial water user in the United Kingdom (UK) and simultaneously delivers valuable by-products traditionally used for cattle feed, but in recent years increasingly for bioenergy generation. Our research provides new insight into these two aspects of alcohol production by 1) presenting the first water scarcity footprint of Scottish single malt whisky, and 2) comparing potential avoided water scarcity impacts through the use of by-products to replace different feeds and energy carriers. We applied Life Cycle Assessment, including a water scarcity footprint (AWARE methodology) and carbon footprint, using primary data from a Scottish whisky distillery. By-products used for feed were considered to replace imported soybean meal from the Americas or rapemeal from Europe combined with UK grown barley to balance protein and metabolisable energy substitution. Alternative by-product use for biogas production replaced conventional heat and electricity generation, or transport fuel with the digestate substituting mineral fertilisers. The water scarcity footprint of 1 litre of pure al?cohol is 0.79 m3 world eq., with the majority of water used for cooling, highlighting a hotspot for water conservation. The carbon footprint is 4.4 kg CO2 eq., predominantly caused by heating with gas oil. By-product use as animal feed, replacing soybean meal and barley, offsets up to 47% of the water scarcity footprint and 32% of the carbon footprint of alcohol production. Using by-products for bioenergy gen?erates smaller offsets. Water reuse and heat recovery measures should be investigated as priorities to reduce the environmental footprint of whisky. Feeding all cereal based by-products from UK potable alcohol production to cattle could save 370 M m3 world eq., or 37% of the UK’s water scarcity footprint attributable to imported soy feed.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to determine the impact of domestic renewable water resources in the country on the formation of GDP, i.e to identify the relationship between the country's water potential and its economic growth in the future, due to the growth of water-intensive technologies in the world and agricultural development. Methodology / approach. The traditional and special research methods were used in the study, including: historical and logical – to analyze the dynamics of water use in the world and ways of forming the flow of virtual water; theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis – to form an understanding of the “principle of globality of water problems” and derive consistent pattern of “principle of globality of water problems”; statistical analysis to assess the level of needs of countries (regions) in water resources and to assess the level of GDP of countries in comparison with their water potential; method of econometric analysis (correlation analysis and linear regression) – to prove the relationship between the water potential of the country and its economic growth in the future. Results. The main idea of the study is to identify the relationship between the country's water potential and its economic growth in the future. It was found that almost all areas with the highest economic growth have the largest total number of inland renewable water resources. the knowledge and dynamics of virtual water trade in the world was described and summarized. According to the principles of the concept of “virtual water”, regions with water scarcity and spatial mismatch between water resources and the availability of arable land can increase their food security by meeting part of their food needs through trade in agricultural products and reducing local food production. A new principle of development of the territory “the principle of globality of water problems” has been substantiated in the study. It is determined that the very availability of domestic renewable water resources in the country does not have a significant impact on GDP growth, but the total catchment per capita in the country already has a significant impact on GDP, i.e, indeed, after reaching a certain water scarcity threshold, the country begins to demand for grain imports, which increases as water resources decrease. The consistent pattern of the “principle of globality of water problems” was proved mathematically, using econometric analysis. Originality / scientific novelty. The formation of the principles of territorial development was further developed, namely the “principle of globality of water problems” was formulated – the change of humanity's attitude to the water resource has formed an understanding of its limitations and possible global scenarios of world development. The development of the laws of economic theory was improved, namely the consistent pattern of the “principle of globality of water problems” – “axes (corridors) of development of the territory, which together with the poles of growth determine the spatial framework of economic growth, in the light of the globalization of water problems, are determined by the presence of the total number of domestic renewable water resources”. Practical value / implications. The results of the study allow a comprehensive assessment of the risks of the agricultural sector associated with the large-scale use of water resources and make effective management decisions on the development and implementation of water-efficient technologies in Ukraine and in the world. The study actualizes the thesis of infrastructure regulation as water-intensive technologies will require significant infrastructure projects and the appropriate quality of water and water supply and sewerage infrastructure as the basis of water efficiency of the region and the country.

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is facing a serious water shortage. How to effectively alleviate the water crisis and achieve sustainable development in the YRB has become a widespread concern. By using the interregional input–output tables of China in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017, we analysed the transfer of virtual water and value-added and the inequality embodied in trade between the YRB and other regions. Results demonstrated that: (1) for the YRB, the pressure on water resources was alleviated through the net inflow of virtual water after 2007. However, the economic situation deteriorated due to the net outflow of value-added in interregional trade after 2012. (2) There existed a serious inequality in virtual water consumption and economic benefits embodied in trade between the YRB and Beijing, Shanghai, etc., with regional inequality (RI) index exceeding 1. Meanwhile, agriculture faced the most serious inequality among all sectors in the YRB. Accordingly, the YRB should aim to optimise its industrial structure and improve water use efficiency to achieve a win-win situation for both economic development and net virtual water inflow. In addition, policymakers should take measures to flexibly adjust the trade scale between the YRB and other regions based on the RI index. HIGHLIGHTS Water consumption and value-added were calculated from two perspectives.; The spatial characteristics of virtual water and value-added flows were analysed.; The regional inequality index was calculated.; Agriculture faced the most serious inequality in the Yellow River Basin.; Strategies were proposed from sectoral and regional trade perspectives.

Due to the increase in population, growing urbanization, and higher demands for processed and unprocessed foods, resources related to food production have become scarce. Water and land can be considered as the primary resources to determine the crop production potential of a country. Ideally, countries that lack water and land resources can import these in virtual form. Sri Lanka is a country rich in water resources that faced bankruptcy recently. This study analyzes and explores the potential for use of land–water resources in Sri Lanka. A comprehensive framework is generated to identify the virtual land–water trade by considering ten major imports and nine major export crops in Sri Lanka. Consequently, the top ten imports/exports and top ten import/export trade partners are identified. The analysis reveals that Sri Lanka is a heavily import-dominant country, having seven times higher imports compared to exports. The country imports wheat, which is 82% of its import crops, and the same crop is the largest export (85% of crop export). Compared to its trade partners, Sri Lanka has sufficient water resources, but availability of arable land is limited. Banana is the largest export of the country, which involves higher embedded water and less land, matching the resource availability to Sri Lanka, whereas the trade partners are expected to continue importing the crop due to their water and land stress conditions. Finalization of the long-awaited agriculture policy of the country is strongly recommended.

The water exported indirectly by sending products to other countries,or vice versa, is called a virtual water flow and this can be measuredthrough water footprint (WF) calculations, which represent theembedded water needed to manufacture a product. This presentstudy aims to analyze the virtual water flow and the WF of the mainproducts exported by municipalities in the state of Ceará in the year2019, in order to enhance the management of the state’s waterresources. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), the most commonlyused multicriteria decision-making method in the world, was usedto determine which product is more sustainably produced by themunicipalities of Ceará, with the criteria: WF, price, and volumeexported. The alternatives are at least two of the seven categories ofproducts exported by the state where the “fruit or vegetable juices”class was preferred as the most sustainable. It was found that mostcities in the state that export agricultural products use only onebasin, which can lead to very low reservoir levels, while the otherhydrographic basins in the state are underused. It is worth noting thatthe Metropolitan Basin concentrates on 11 out of 32 municipalitiesthat export abroad and that it is responsible for supplying more than4,074,730 inhabitants, according to Brazilian Institute of Geographyand Statistics (IBGE, 2019). A água exportada indiretamente pelo envio de produtos a outros países,ou vice versa, chama-se fluxo de água virtual e pode ser mensurado porcálculos de pegada hídrica, que representam a água embutida necessáriapara a fabricação de um produto. O presente estudo teve o objetivo deanalisar o fluxo de água virtual e a pegada hídrica dos principais produtosexportados por municípios do estado do Ceará no ano de 2019, a fim depotencializar o gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos do estado. Utilizouseo analytical hierarchy process (AHP), método de tomada de decisãomulticritério mais usado no mundo, aqui escolhido para determinar qualo produto mais sustentável produzido pelos municípios do Ceará, comos critérios: pegada hídrica, preço e volume exportado. As alternativassão pelo menos duas das sete categorias de produtos exportados peloestado, e a classe de “sucos de frutas ou vegetais” foi preferida comoa mais sustentável. Constatou-se que a maioria das cidades do estadoque exportam produtos de origem agropecuária faz uso de apenasuma bacia, o que pode acarretar níveis muito baixos de reservatório,enquanto as outras bacias hidrográficas do estado são subusadas. Vale apena salientar que a Bacia Metropolitana concentra 11 de 32 municípiosque exportam para o exterior e é responsável pelo abastecimentode mais de 4.074.730 habitantes, segundo o Instituto Brasileiro deGeografia e Estatística (2019).

Declining water resources and increasing demand of water for agricultural, industrial, and domestic sector and potential climate change has posed a major challenge to maintain water sustainability of a nation. There is a need to adopt long-term perspective for assessment and policy design for sustainability of primary resources like water. It is also argued that virtual water trade has raised issues of water sustainability as even small but continuous net virtual water trade may influence the water sustainability through irreversible losses. With the constraints for water sustainability, virtual water trade has received much attention in the recent years. While the impact of virtual water trade on water sustainability of virtual water exporter country is less explored and assessed. India is a major water exporting country resulted tremendous pressure on water resources that has serious threat to food security and the negative impact on development of economy and other sectors.

The virtual water (VW) trade associated to food is composed by the quantity of water utilized for the production of the crops exchanged on the global market. In assessing a country’s water abundance or scarcity when entering the international VW trade, scholars consider only physical water availability, neglecting economic water scarcity, which indicates situations in which socio-economic obstacles impede the productive use of water. We weight the global VW trade associated to primary crops with a newly proposed composite water scarcity index (CWSI) that combines physical and economic water scarcity. 39% of VW volumes is exported from countries with a higher CWSI than the one of the destination country. Such unfair routes occur both from low- to high-income countries and among low- and middle-income countries themselves. High-income countries have a predominant role in import of CWSI-weighted VW, while low- and middle-income countries dominate among the largest CWSI-weighted VW exporters. For many of them economic water scarcity dominates over physical scarcity. The application of the CWSI elicits also a status change from net exporter to net importer for some wealthy countries and viceversa for some low- and middle-income countries. The application of CWSI allows one to quantify to what extent VW exchanges flow along environmentally and economically unfair routes, and it can inform the design of compensation policies.

To consider the problem of uneven distribution of water resources, a study on the relationship and trend of virtual water trade between regions based on an Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) model was proposed. Using an MRIO model, the spatial distribution and changing trends of China's inter-regional virtual water trade from 2014 to 2019 were evaluated. The empirical results show that, due to the difference in water use efficiency and production processes in different sectors, the direct and indirect water use coefficients and demand coefficients are different in different regions. In some water-poor areas (regions with low water availability), more products with high water use coefficients are exported, while more water-rich areas (regions with high water availability) export products with lower water use coefficients. The inter-regional virtual water trade only alleviates the shortage of water resources in some poor water areas in China. Some poor water areas export a large amount of virtual water, and the rich water areas import a large amount of virtual water or only maintain a partial virtual water balance. However, the demand coefficient tends to increase, and the trade adjustment trends in different regions and changes in regional virtual water trade relations are not conducive to alleviating the shortage of water resources caused by uneven distribution. The tension coefficients between the food manufacturing and tobacco processing industry, the textile and clothing industry, and the wood processing and furniture manufacturing industries in the Northeast region are relatively large, with the demand coefficients are 92.9, 65.5 and 156.7 respectively. Relatively speaking, the tensile coefficients of areas rich in natural water resources such as the eastern coastal, southern coastal, southwest, and central areas are generally low. According to the production situation, the regional virtual water trade relationship should be adjusted from the level of the national master plan.

To define the complicated driving mechanisms of virtual water flow (VWF) in China's main grains production, this study firstly uses the entropy method and a K-means clustering approach to classify the driving types of VWF based on the data from 31 provinces in the mainland of China, and then applies the PLS structural equation model to analyze the driving mechanisms of VWF in four representative provinces or municipalities(Zhejiang, Heilongjiang, Xinjiang and Shanghai)selected by the classified driving types. The results show that the driving types of VWF can be divided into four types, namely, ecology-economy, ecology-environment, ecology-water use, and comprehensive type. In the four typical regions at provincial level, the social factors directly affect the VWF, and reversely it has a direct impact on the nature, environment and economy of the above four regions. In particular, the water use has a direct impact on the VWF in Heilongjiang attached to the ecologic-environmental type. The findings of this paper manifest that the social indicators rather than the indicators in water use play an important role in the VWF, that is, our findings further testify the status quo of China's VWF: the regions with rich water resources import the virtual water while the regions with poor water resources export the virtual water. Finally, for promoting the rational flow of virtual water we propose some corresponding adjustment countermeasures and suggestions that provide a theoretical basis for the rational allocation and management of water resources.

Chinese water resources are limited and unevenly distributed across space, making the inter-provincial virtual water trade increasingly prosperous. Many studies have focused on the impact of virtual water trade on regional water scarcity, but little consideration has been paid to the impact of water scarcity on virtual water trade, particularly in China. To fill this gap, we addressed the Chinese inter-provincial virtual water trade in 2012, 2015 and 2017, and we combined a multi-regional input-output analysis with a gravity model supplemented by the instrumental variable method. Our results indicated water pressure values were higher in northern areas, and provinces with extreme water stress were distributed in the eastern coastal areas. Additionally, virtual water tends to be exported from water-poor regions to water-rich regions. The results of the gravity model show that the Chinese inter-provincial virtual water trade is significantly related to water scarcity. We found that virtual water flow is positively correlated with the water scarcity of exporting regions, such as Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Anhui, and Jiangsu, and it is negatively correlated with the water scarcity of importing regions, such as Shandong, Guangdong and Zhejiang. Therefore, water scarcity affects the virtual water trade flow, and the trade in turn exacerbates the regional water shortage in the northern and eastern coast of China. In addition, the virtual water trade is affected by socio-economic factors and environmental factors. We suggest that related policies should be developed to terminate this malignant cycle. The virtual water trade should be guided towards becoming more adaptable to sustainable development rather than allowing for water-scarce areas to pursue economic development at the cost of scarce water resources.

Virtual water trade in a region is affected by both nature and by humans. To study the contribution of human activities on virtual water trade quantitatively, an innovative method of quantitative comparison and analysis is put forward. At first, climates are adjusted into a unified standard. Then the impacts of increment and reduction of foreign water are studied. Additionally, the impacts of water management policy are studied according to the comparable water quotas. Results show that with the development of the economy, an N-shaped trend and inverted U-shaped trend exist with regard to the net exports of agricultural and industrial virtual water, respectively. The net imports of virtual water have beneficial effects to water environments in water deficient areas, while net exports have negative effects. In 1997, the net exports of agricultural and industrial virtual water reduced by 20.13% and 49.67% respectively due to the cut-off of the Yellow River channel compared with that under average Yellow River water diversion. In 2017, they increased by 1.32% and 41.99% respectively because of the South-to-North Water Transfer (SNWT) project and reduced by 10.01% and 20.39% respectively under the effects of the most stringent water management policy.

Limited and declining water resources, increasing demand of water resources from different sectors, has posed a major challenge for maintaining water sustainability and thus overall sustainability for a populous and water-scarce country like India. Over extraction and changing climate have put additional pressure to maintain water sustainability. Therefore, there is a need for proper planning of utilization and management of water resources. Recently, virtual water trade has received much attention and become an important tool for balancing the water budget. On the other hand, virtual water trade may also adversely affect the water balance of the exporter's country as well as the economy. Analysis of the virtual water trade with its implications for water resources is missing; hence, there is a need for such analysis that will help in management of water resources. In this study an attempt is made to present a quantitative analysis of the virtual water trade and its implications for water sustainability. For this study, the rice crop is considered only due to its characteristics as rice is a major water consumer crop and water exporter crop from India.

Systematic reviews are a more complete, repeatable, and less biased form of literature reviews leading to evidence-based conclusions. A systematic review was conducted on articles that have investigated the trade of virtual gray water (VGW) and its effect on freshwater pollution in importer and exporter partners. Scopus and ScienceDirect databases were searched for journal articles covering VGW trade on global, international, and national scales. The relevant articles then were selected and using snowball approach led to more relevant articles. Then, the required data were extracted and recorded. A total of 34 articles met the inclusion criteria, of which 13 articles studied VGW trade on a national scale, 13 on an international scale, and the rest on a global scale. The present study developed a critical appraisal tool to evaluate the methodological quality of the included articles. The results of the critical appraisal showed that none of the included articles can undergo quantitative synthesis. Research gaps regarding VGW trade were observed in the water-scarce developing countries that need to be covered. One of the policy implications to reduce pollution impacts on water bodies would be agricultural and industrial reforms by VGW exporters. Besides, changes in economic structure in both sides of the trade, and goods or water consumption patterns, especially by VGW importers, can also play an important role in water resource conservation. Therefore, international and multi-stockholder cooperation should be taken to alleviate the environmental impacts of the VGW trade.

One of the most crucial issues in water and food security is to assess the impacts of climate change on virtual water content (VWC) and crop yield of agricultural products. The objective of this study is to efficiently predict the VWC patterns and yields of different crops under various climate change conditions using three data mining approaches including artificial neural network (ANN), genetic programming (GP), and support vector machine (SVM). The study region included the eastern provinces of Iran containing North Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, Sistan-Baluchestan (in a range of latitude from 25 to 40°N). Specifically, VWC and crop yields were estimated for both baseline period (1985–2005) and several climate change conditions including four time horizons (2030, 2050, 2070, and 2090) under RCPs 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 based on the second generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2). The data mining models were evaluated with the RMSE and NSE goodness-of-fit criteria. The results showed that the SVM model achieved the highest NSE and lowest RMSE values. It was also found that under the climate change conditions, VWC increased from 6 to 42%, while crop yield decreased from 8 to 53% for all products in the southern regions. An opposite trend was observed in the northern regions for wheat and barley with an increase from 12 to 72% for VWC and from 4 to 27% for the yield.

Introduction Garbage accumulating on the streets in Egypt’s urban and rural areas creates serious problems in terms of hygiene and creates a sense of chaos. One often hears complaints from locals as well as visitors, and these lead to recurrent attempts by the government to address the garbage problem. This is not a new phenomenon (Fahmy 2022). In his book In Quest of Justice, Khaled Fahmy writes about the time of Muhammed Ali, when garbage full of organic waste was associated with bad air an...

The excessive appropriation of natural resources is one of the causes of the current environmental crisis. The Water Footprint (WF) is an indicator that provides information on the impact of human activities on water and, therefore, has the potential to educate the individual on the proper management of this resource. Due to the fact that the investigations that calculate the WF in university contexts focus on the environmental and economic analysis of said indicator but not on making educational interventions, this research evaluates the WF of the staff of the Santiago de Cali University (USC) to promote responsible habits of water consumption through a pedagogical proposal. Using non-parametric tests, it calculates the WF of the university staff to design a primer, concluding that the content is valid to promote the responsible use of water at USC after being subjected to the judgment of experts., La apropiación desmedida de los recursos naturales es una de las causas de la actual crisis ambiental. La Huella Hídrica (HH) es un indicador que brinda información sobre el impacto de las actividades humanas sobre el agua y, por tanto, tiene el potencial de educar al individuo sobre la adecuada gestión de este recurso. Debido a que las investigaciones que calculan la HH en contextos universitarios se enfocan en el análisis ambiental y económico de dicho indicador mas no en hacer intervenciones educativas, esta investigación evalúa la HH del personal de la Universidad Santiago de Cali (USC) para promover hábitos responsables de consumo de agua a través de una propuesta pedagógica. Valiéndose de pruebas no paramétricas calcula la HH del personal universitario para diseñar una cartilla, concluyendo que el contenido es válido para fomentar el uso responsable del agua en la USC luego de ser sometida al juicio de expertos.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the interrelationships among water, energy, and food are complex, partly due to their development models, which are intensive in their use of these resources. This research aims to recognize and quantify the use of water and energy in food in Ecuador by identifying the main interrelationships, together with their causes and current impacts. Regarding methodology, this research uses sectoral data available at the national level and international databases to obtain cross indexes. The following indicators were sought: percentage of energy demanded by food in different stages, extraction of water for agricultural use, food energy productivity, virtual water, and embodied energy. As a result, it was estimated that food consumes 50% of imported energy and cocoa stands out with 7.6 km3 of water footprint; the products with the highest energy consumption are shrimp with 2090 KBOE and fish with 1459 KBOE. Fishing and aquaculture products present with a significantly high consumption level. Nearly all the virtual water and embodied energy are exported in banana, cocoa, and shrimp. Exporting groups make extensive use of the country’s water and energy resources.

[ES] El aguacate (Persea americana), es un producto agrícola cada vez más demandado a nivel global, tanto para consumo en fresco como para usos industriales, al ser considerado un producto saludable por su elevado contenido en vitaminas y minerales. Esta creciente demanda mundial ha tenido un impacto económico positivo en las regiones en que se cultiva, pero también ha provocado la aparición de problemas a nivel ambiental y socioeconómico, que pueden llegar a poner en peligro la propia sostenibilidad del cultivo, así como de los sistemas hídricos de los que se extraen los recursos necesarios para regarlos. El análisis de las dinámicas actuales y las proyecciones futuras del mercado global del aguacate, junto con el estudio de su huella y necesidades hídricas, permite ver las implicaciones que desde el punto de vista hídrico tiene la estructura actual del mercado, estableciéndose una serie de patrones claros en los movimientos de agua virtual desde países productores generalmente pobres en recursos hídricos, a países consumidores generalmente ricos en dichos recursos. Tras el establecimiento de este marco general, el estudio de la problemática y las consecuencias del cultivo intensivo en tres zonas concretas situadas en países productores con perfiles distintos (México, Chile y España), permite extraer una serie de etapas comunes, que se repiten de forma sistemática y que muestran la existencia de un patrón similar que se repite a pesar de las particularidades de cada zona. El caso del aguacate representa un buen caso de estudio para demostrar como un fuerte crecimiento en la demanda de un determinado producto agrícola puede traducirse en un crecimiento descontrolado de su cultivo intensivo, que tiene como consecuencia problemas en materia hídrica, medioambiental y socioeconómica si las Administraciones Públicas no introducen políticas de control y limitación tanto sobre el cultivo, como sobre el uso de los recursos disponibles., [EN] Avocado (Persea Americana), is an agricultural product that is increasingly in demand globally, both for fresh consumption and for industrial uses, as it is considered a healthy product due to its high content of vitamins and minerals. This growing global demand has had a positive economic impact in the regions where it grows, but it has also caused the appearance of environmental and socio-economic problems, which can endanger the very sustainability of the crop itself and also of the water systems from which the necessary resources are extracted to irrigate them. The analysis of the current dynamics and future projections of the global avocado market, together with the study of its water footprint and water demands, allows us to see the implications that the current structure of the market has from the water point of view, establishing a series of clear patterns in virtual water movements from producer countries generally poor in water resources, to consumer countries generally rich in said resources. After establishing this general framework, the study of intensive farming problems and its consequences in three specific areas located in producing countries with different profiles (Mexico, Chile and Spain), allows us to draw a series of common stages, which are repeated systematically and that show the existence of a similar pattern that is repeated despite the particularities of each area. The case of avocado represents a good case study to demonstrate how a strong growth in the demand for a certain agricultural product can turn into an uncontrolled growth of its intensive farming, which results in water, environmental and socio-economic problems if Public Administration does not put in place control and limitation policies, both on cultivation and on the use of available resources.

À partir d’une comparaison entre divers conflits opposant communautés villageoises et entreprises aurifères (en Amérique latine et en Afrique de l’Ouest) sur l’usage de l’eau, l’article soutient que l’analyse du statut du couple eau/or dans les problématiques éthiques actuelles conduit à reconnaître les droits de certains éléments de la Nature. Pour ce faire, il rappelle comment sont appréhendées aujourd’hui la transition écologique imposée par le dérèglement climatique et les différentes éthiques de l’environnement. Il montre également la difficulté à estimer l’« eau virtuelle » de l’or : difficulté révélatrice de l’insuffisance des éthiques environnementales classiques et des limites des économies orthodoxes. Une éthique de l’or à la hauteur des enjeux écologiques actuels pourrait bien conduire à une révision radicale des bases épistémologiques de nos représentations du monde. Based on a comparative study of several conflicts between village communities and gold mining companies (in Latin America and West Africa) over the use of water, this article argues that the analysis of the status of the water/gold couple in current ethical issues leads to the recognition of the rights of some of elements of the Nature. To do so, it points out how the ecological transition imposed by climate change and various environmental ethics are currently apprehended. He also demonstrates the difficulty of estimating the "virtual water" of gold: a difficulty that reveals the inadequacy of classical environmental ethics and the limits of orthodox economics. An ethics of gold that is equal to the current ecological stakes could lead to a radical revision of the epistemological bases of our representations of the world. Fundamentándose en una comparación de diversos conflictos que enfrentan comunidades campesinas y empresas auríferas en Latinoamérica y África del Oeste, con respecto a la utilización del agua, este artículo afirma que el análisis del estatus del binomio agua/oro en las cuestiones éticas actuales implica el reconocimiento de los derechos de ciertos elementos de la Naturaleza. Para ello, el artículo indica cómo se abordan actualmente la transición ecológica impuesta por el cambio climático y las diferentes Éticas del medioambiente. Asimismo, muestra la dificultad para valorar el “agua virtual” del oro: dificultad que pone de manifiesto la deficiencia de las éticas medioambientales clásicas y de los límites de las economías ortodoxas. Una Ética del oro a la altura de los desafíos ecológicos actuales podría generar una revisión radical de las bases epistemológicas de nuestras representaciones del mundo.

Water resources are under increasing pressure from population growth, socio-economic development, and climate change. The main user of freshwater is the agriculture sector, accounting for 70–80% of global water use. Consequently, increasing water productivity and reducing water use in this sector are vital for alleviating water scarcity. It has been alleged that domestic or international trade of water-consumed products from wet-provinces or countries to arid and semi-arid provinces or countries is one possible path to mitigate water shortage. In this regard, virtual water flows and their determinants in Iran are investigated in this paper. This study examines the main determinants of bilateral virtual water flows associated with international trade in agricultural goods among Iran and other countries using a gravity model of trade. The impacts of climate change and socio-economic change scenarios on the virtual water trade are simulated. The result of the gravity model indicated that bilateral virtual water trade flows are influenced by the classical determinants and all the mass-related variables (gross domestic product and population) are significant with expected signs. Finally, the result obtained from the simulation of climate and socio-economic change scenarios showed that under the pessimistic scenario of climate change and population growth rate of 0.98 and 0.44%, VW trade between Iran and other countries would increase by 41 and 66% in the periods of 2016–2045 and 2070–2099, respectively. As a consequence, identifying the appropriate countries for business interactions and adopting effective trade policies are very important and need attention soon. HIGHLIGHTS Bilateral virtual water trade flows are influenced by the classical determinants and all the mass-related variables (gross domestic product and population).; The size of the future virtual water flows was predicted under the climate and population change scenarios.; The average annual temperature and the population of Iran, as the determinants of virtual water flows, have a positive and significant effect on the net virtual water flows.

Due to the increasingly serious water shortage in China, water conservation becomes more and more important. This paper analyzes the amount of water consumption in every link of the goods supply to...

The present study aimed to assess water footprint in the production and export of rice in India. From recent few years, the water footprint conception in full swing to inward detection around the world. The amplified attention in the water footprint has impelled the trade of commodities between countries. Water footprint in the rice field is a sign of water use that exhibits direct and indirect water usage in the rice field. Rice is an important food crop in India. It accesses the flows of water virtually between countries/regions of the world to illustrate the dependency of countries/regions on water resources with other countries/regions under diverse feasible futures. Hence, it is gaining consequence to calculate the water foot print in production as well as export of rice. The Indian rice production and export of rice was calculated by using international trade and domestic production data. The study results indicated that the global footprint of rice production was 235774 Mm3 per ton which was 53 % of green water footprint, 41 % of blue water footprint and 6 % of grey water footprint for 2018-19. The virtual water flowed in trade was 24354 Mm3/year and the percolation was 16924 Mm3/year since rice is a more water consuming crop. The share of basmati and non-basmati trade accounted was 16 % and 42 %, respectively. Virtual water trade in rice can be minimized by exporting less water demand and high-value crops, proper water harvesting structures and other agronomic practices.

This article examines the evolution and potential of the water agenda of BRICS. The members of this international association of major countries of South America, Eurasia, Asia and Africa are rich in water resources and population. The development of water resources extends beyond their borders to projects in other countries through the activities of a major development institution, the New Development Bank of BRICS. Such conditions suggest some anticipation of a global and comprehensive view on the part of BRICS on the issues relating to water resources. However, the hypothesis of this article is opposite: despite the unique potential of the BRICS water strategy, it remains non-specific, focused on the lower common denominators for the member countries such as cleanliness, sanitation and water management. To account for this, the authors take the position that the bureaucratic logic of basic common interest downgrades strategic vision. This is reflected in the growing gap between the multifaceted nature of the issues related to water resources in the world and the narrowly specialized approach of BRICS association which perceives water de facto without its resource and global function. To study this, the authors analyze the water portfolios of the BRICS member countries and compare the national water agendas based on an analysis of policy documents. They then systematize water initiatives under the auspices of the BRICS and, finally, calculate virtual water flows and their structure between the BRICS countries using agricultural products trade as an example. The conducted analysis allows the authors to identify a wide gap between the current and potential water agenda of the BRICS. The authors then propose a number of initiatives that can create added value for the BRICS as an association both for its member countries and for developing countries facing water resource challenges. The authors assert that such a new approach, based on a profound understanding of the resource function of water as a commodity with global value, has all the potential to be implemented by BRICS.

For millennia the Nile supplied Egypt with more water than needed. As the population grew and the economy expanded, demand on water increased accordingly. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis to reconstruct how total demand on water outstripped supply of the Nile water in the late 1970s, starting from a surplus of about 20 km3 per year in the 1960s leading to a deficit of about 40 km3 per year by the late 2010s. The gap is satisfied by import of virtual water. The role of economic growth in driving per capita demand on water is quantified based on detailed analysis of water use by agriculture and other sectors. We develop and test an empirical model of water demand in Egypt that relates demand on water to growth rates in the economy and population. Looking forward, we project that within this decade of the 2020 s, under nominal scenarios of population and economic growth, Egypt is likely to import more virtual water than the water supplied by the Nile, bringing into question the historical characterization of Egypt as “the gift of the Nile”., A historical reconstruction of water use in Egypt shows the change in relative use of Nile water versus virtual water import, especially in the highly consumptive agriculture sector. A range of future projections of water demand are offered based on several plausible socioeconomic scenarios.

Ending hunger and ensuring food security are among targets of 2030’s SDGs. While food trade and the embedded (virtual) water (VW) may improve food availability and accessibility for more people all year round, the sustainability and efficiency of food and VW trade needs to be revisited. In this research, we assess the sustainability and efficiency of food and VW trades under two food security scenarios for Iran, a country suffering from an escalating water crisis. These scenarios are (1) Individual Crop Food Security (ICFS), which restricts calorie fulfillment from individual crops and (2) Crop Category Food Security (CCFS), which promotes “eating local” by suggesting food substitution within the crop category. To this end, we simulate the water footprint and VW trades of 27 major crops, within 8 crop categories, in 30 provinces of Iran (2005–2015). We investigate the impacts of these two scenarios on (a) provincial food security (FSp) and exports; (b) sustainable and efficient blue water consumption, and (c) blue VW export. We then test the correlation between agro-economic and socio-environmental indicators and provincial food security. Our results show that most provinces were threatened by unsustainable and inefficient blue water consumption for crop production, particularly in the summertime. This water mismanagement results in 14.41 and 8.45 billion m3 y−1 unsustainable and inefficient blue VW exports under ICFS. “Eating local” improves the FSp value by up to 210% which lessens the unsustainable and inefficient blue VW export from hotspots. As illustrated in the graphical abstract, the FSp value strongly correlates with different agro-economic and socio-environmental indicators, but in different ways. Our findings promote “eating local” besides improving agro-economic and socio-environmental conditions to take transformative steps toward eradicating food insecurity not only in Iran but also in other countries facing water limitations.

This article adds to the literature on the investigation of water use behavior of people under their daily routines. A self-administrated survey of water users was conducted for both graduate and undergraduate students at Boğaziçi University, Turkey in 2019. This study quantifies and maps the water footprint (WF) of Boğaziçi University (BU). It reports preferences of students and personnel in terms of indoor water use, outdoor water use, and virtual water use such as transportation, shopping, and dietary preferences. Water footprints are estimated per person for both engineering students and all students of BU. WF of an average BU student is above the average WF of Turkey as well as the average global WF. The attributes that influence the water use behavior of people were broadly categorized into two groups, which were dietary preferences and shopping preferences. Moreover, the eating pattern of a person regarding whether a person consumes meat was the largest contributor to the WF of BU. The results of this study can help to develop a basic understanding of WF and how it is affected by people's choices. This study is also unique by calculating water footprint in terms of direct and virtual water footprint by considering people’s daily choices in Turkey.

Given the scarcity of water as a limiting factor to development and the direct and indirect incorporation of water in the production processes, this study aims to understand the virtual water trade between Paraná and the main regions with which it trades: São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Rest of Brazil, as well as investigating whether Paraná behaves as a net regional importer or exporter in this segment. The study of virtual water flows in Paraná is relevant, since Paraná stands out as one of the largest agricultural producers in the country and the largest consumer of water in Brazil is the agricultural sector. For this purpose, the concept of virtual water and an interregional input-output model with six sectors were used. The results show that in the agricultural sector, as well as in trade with São Paulo, Paraná is a net exporter of virtual water. However, in the Transformation and Construction Industry sector, as well as in trade with the Rest of Brazil, the state behaves as a net importer. However, exports have greater weight, making the state a net exporter of virtual water, when considering all sectors and regions of Brazil.

With the rapid development of the socio-economic system and the close connection of inter-regional trade, the physical water consumption in production and the virtual water flow associated with inter-regional trade are both have a significant impact on local water systems, especially in megacities. Beijing is the political, economic and cultural center of China, which is a megacity that has severe water scarcity. To evaluate the status-quo of local water consumption and propose the countermeasures, this study quantitatively analyzed the evolution trend of physical water consumption and the virtual water flow in Beijing. The results show that the total physical water consumption in Beijing decreased from 2.43 billion m3 (2002) to 1.98 billion m3 (2017), while the net virtual water input increased from 1.76 billion m3 (2002) to 3.09 billion m3 (2017), which was mainly embedded in agricultural and industrial products. This study also reveals the equal importance of physical water and virtual water in ensuring the regional water security and sustainable economic development. In view of poor water resource endowment, Beijing should conduct the coupled management of physical water and virtual water to alleviate the local water shortage, i.e., to receive more virtual water embedded in agricultural and industrial products, and allocate the limited local water resources to domestic use and high-benefit sectors.

This thesis examines the impacts and challenges of water use of electric power system. This thesis found that there are large differences in water use of electricity technologies, with hydropower and thermal power being two large water users. Water is used for power production and then virtually transmitted via power transmission networks. From this angle, regional water stress can be influenced by power transmission across regions. The power system has further impacts on freshwater biodiversity because of its freshwater consumption and thermal emissions. Power system faces challenges when its water demand cannot be met. Carbon capture and storage is an important approach to reducing carbon emissions of power plants, while it requires additional water resources and could exacerbate the vulnerability of power system to water stress. It is necessary to deepen the analyses of the links between energy and water systems and incorporate the results into future energy and water management.

A dynamic multi-region computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to analyze virtual water and its effect in the Huaihe River basin, which includes Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong and Henan provinces. The baseline scenario was first constructed to describe the trade situation and virtual water among different regions and sectors from 2009–2020. Then two hypothetical policy scenarios were set to analyze the economic, water consumption and virtual water trade impacts under different policy shocks. The results show that (1) the Huaihe River basin was a net virtual water outflow region, with 13.977 × 109 m3 virtual water transferred outside the river basin in 2009, and 26.653 × 109 m3 VW transferred to outside in 2020. Jiangsu is the largest virtual water outflow province (mainly flows to outside), followed by Anhui. Anhui suffers from severe water shortage, but provides a net virtual water outflow to Henan, Jiangsu and Shandong and outside; (2) reducing Anhui's agricultural output (S1 scenario) and Anhui's agricultural virtual water outflow (S2 scenario) can not only reduce virtual water trade but also save water, but S1 scenario reduced net virtual water outflow by more, and saved more water. S1 had a positive effect on gross domestic product (GDP), but reduced the employment rate. HIGHLIGHTS Role of VWT analyzed using a CGE.; CGE based on 12 years of data (2009–2020).; VW study not only focused on agriculture, but also included industry and service sectors.; Two hypothetical scenarios were set to analyze the economic, water consumption and VWT impact.; Assessment of VW will change water usage and trade in different upstream and downstream regions of the Huaihe watershed.

International audience; Water scarcity problem has become a major constraint in energy development. In this paper, we calculated virtual water flows and virtual water scarcity risk transfers driven by interprovincial energy consumption in China using multi-regional input–output analysis. The results of virtual water scarcity risk transfers show that major virtual water scarcity risk importers will be the “victims” suffering the consequences of increasing virtual water scarcity risks in the national energy system. For major virtual water scarcity risk exporters, they will transfer virtual water scarcity risks to downstream provinces along energy supply chains, threatening the stability of the national energy system. The promotion of energy policies and the energy consumption of developed regions make the water-deficient northwest regions export a large amount of water resources to the east and south regions. Therefore, it is necessary to fully consider local water scarcity and evaluate the impact on water environment before the construction of energy bases. Our findings can be used to provide a reference value for policymakers to develop new energy strategies and manage water resources sustainably.

As the largest lake within Iranian borders, Lake Urmia's critical conditions have disrupted its primary functions in recent years due to environmental challenges. Considering the virtual water (VW)...

Understanding the idea and strategy of virtual water trade is critical for formulating informed policies to increase water usage efficiency at various levels. The implementation of the concept of virtual water as a creative water-saving technique in Egypt, however, is still in need of comprehensive testing, research, and feasibility evaluation. Egypt also requires extensive investigations, surveys, and feasibility evaluations. At present, as a percentage of water supplies, Egypt's net virtual water import has risen to 23.55 percent. The primary concern here is to apply virtual water as a strategy that meets the interests and goals set out in Egypt's National Water Management Plan. The key concern of this paper is investigating the general use of virtual water as a water-saving technique in Egypt. It outlines the water scarcity problem and its indicators, supply and demand for water resources in Egypt, and water scarcity forces in Egypt. Going to virtual water in economic ideas history, the definitions of virtual water and water footprint, then virtual water as an analytical instrument and a political strategy. Finally, water saving from virtual water trade and its advantages and disadvantages in Egypt. In order to follow the introduction of the virtual water definition in the national water management policy of Egypt, A clear vision and understanding of its advantages and disadvantages according to the conditions of Egypt is required. Further analysis and a thorough understanding of the impacts and experiences on the local social, economic, environmental, cultural, natural and political situation is needed for this new definition as a policy choice in Egypt.

Water is at the heart of sustainable development and is critical to socio-economic development, healthy ecosystems, and human survival. This is important for raising the global disease burden and improving people's health, education, and productivity. It is central to manufacturing and preserving a host of benefits and services for humans. However, Water is at the center of adaptation to climate change and serves as the essential connection between the climate system, human society, and ecosystem. A significant case of embedded complex systems is the globalization of water, related to the transport of virtual water supplies from one area to another. Due to insufficient water supplies, many nations rely on imports of food. This is similar to importing virtual water, but it could be useful for countries with water shortages. It is often noted that net imports of virtual water in a water-scarce country can reduce the water supply pressure and that virtual water can be seen as an alternative source of water. This additional source will be a tool in the planning and management of water supplies. Virtual water trade is thus an actual reality, and it would not be feasible to argue whether or not countries can trade food products in virtual water. The virtual water strategy explores ways to use internal and external water supplies consciously and effectively to mitigate water scarcity. VWT work has demonstrated the presence of national and global social and environmental benefits. VW transfers are widely used to aid malnutrition and alleviate the impact of national food crises.

Water resources are becoming scarce and must be preserved. The significant use of water is linked to agriculture in general and to livestock in particular. Very little research in semi-arid regions has been devoted to assessing the contribution of ruminants to water scarcity. This contribution explores the relationships between dairy farming and the various water resources available in an ecosystem with climatic constraints. To meet future food demand while sustainably managing the available land and water resources, dairy farm systems in semi-arid regions must adapt in response to climate and socio-economic change. In this study, we focus on the south Mediterranean region to analyze the key factors influencing water productivity in dairy farming, especially in context characterized by water scarcity. In order to characterize the relationship between dairy cattle breeding and water resources, a monitoring of 40 dairy cattle stables has been carried out in a semi-arid region. The technical and economic parameters of each farm were evaluated: the use of water according to their origins to the production of fodder by source, the contribution of virtual water off the farm, the total fodder biomass, feeding system practiced on the farms and the performances achieved. Analysis of the data indicates that productivity of fodder in dry matter differ between the two systems with values of the order of 12520 to 17188 kg/ha (p