How much water do we really use? A case study of the city state of Singapore

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Vanham
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
National Level ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Sustainable Water Supply ◽  
The World ◽  
City State ◽  
The City

The observed and predicted increase in urban population in the world is creating and will further create severe stress on existing water infrastructures and available water resources. Singapore's population has increased from about 1 million people in the 1950s to almost 5 million currently. The city state has invested massively in a sustainable water supply system, and is regarded by many as a role model for future cities with respect to this topic. Solutions like water reuse, desalination and water demand management have already been implemented. However, city dwellers use much more additional water in the form of virtual water. Their actual water footprint is much higher than only domestic water. Water required for the generation of agricultural and industrial products are imported to cities, and can put a heavy burden on water resources in surrounding and even distant (rural) regions. The city state provides a unique opportunity to analyse virtual water consumption for a city, as required statistical data are available through the national Department of Statistics. For other cities such detailed data are rarely available. Mostly these data are only provided on a national level. This analysis provides a quantification of the actual water use of a future city. The paper describes whether the consumption of agricultural products (in the sense of water for food) is also sustainable in Singapore. The agricultural products that contribute largely to the total water footprint of Singapore – wheat, rice, livestock products and cotton–are analysed and discussed in detail. A sustainable city of the future should account for its impacts beyond its borders. Whether the world can provide for the water and food for an increasing population highly depends on consumption patterns within future cities.

scholarly journals Water footprint of Xiamen city from production and consumption perspectives (2001–2012)

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 472-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiefeng Kang ◽  
Jianyi Lin ◽  
Shenghui Cui ◽  
Xiangyang Li
Keyword(s):  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Average Production ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Xiamen City ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The City ◽  
Per Capita Consumption

Providing a comprehensive insight, water footprint (WF) is widely used to analyze and address water-use issues. In this study, a hybrid of bottom-up and top-down methods is applied to calculate, from production and consumption perspectives, the WF for Xiamen city from 2001 to 2012. Results show that the average production WF of Xiamen was 881.75 Mm3/year and remained relatively stable during the study period, while the consumption WF of Xiamen increased from 979.56 Mm3/year to 1,664.97 Mm3/year over the study period. Xiamen thus became a net importer of virtual water since 2001. Livestock was the largest contributor to the total WF from both production and consumption perspectives; it was followed by crops, industry, household use, and commerce. The efficiency of the production WF has increased in Xiamen, and its per capita consumption WF was relatively low. The city faces continuing growth in its consumption WF, so more attention should be paid to improving local irrigation, reducing food waste, and importing water-intensive agricultural products.

scholarly journals GLOBAL WATER RESOURCES: CHALLENGES OF THE 21st CENTURY

2020 ◽  
pp. 6-16
Author(s):  
V. Khilchevskyi
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
River Runoff ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Human Society ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Water

The article provides an analytical overview of the state of global water resources and their use in the world. The focus is on the most important component of water resources – freshwater, which on the planet is only 2.5 % of the total. The most accessible renewable water resources are river runoff, which is distributed unevenly on the surface of the planet: Asia (32 %), South America (28 %), North America (18 %), Africa (9 %), Europe (7%), Australia and Oceania (6 %). Along with the characteristics of the known components of freshwater resources (river runoff, groundwater, glaciers), attention is also focused on trends in attracting unconventional sources (recovered wastewater or gray water, desalinated, specially collected rainwater). The total use of fresh water in the world is only 9 % of the total river flow of the planet. At the same time, the problem of water scarcity was included in the list of the World Economic Forum 2015, as one of the global risks in terms of the potential impact on human society in the next decade. Among the causes of global water, scarcity are geographical and socio-economic. Geographical reasons are the spatial and temporal (seasonal) mismatch of the demand for fresh water and its availability. Socio-economic reasons are the growth of the world’s population, urbanization, improving living standards, changes in consumption patterns, and an increase in irrigated land. The latter has become key to the growth of global water demand. Experts forecast that the limited access to fresh water in 2050 can be felt by 3.3 billion more people than in 2000. The article gives examples of a methodology for the hydrological assessment of water scarcity (calculation of the ratio of the volume of annual renewable water resources to the population) and the methodology of economic and geographical assessment. Other approaches to assessing water resources by creating new paradigms (water – blue, green, virtual, water footprint) have been characterized. Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many conflicts related to water. Active water cooperation between countries today reduces the risk of military conflicts. This conclusion was made after studying transboundary water relations in more than 200joint river basins, covering 148 countries. The right to safe water and sanitation is a fundamental right of everyone (UN, 2010). Therefore, among the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the UN for implementation for the period 2015-2030, Global Goal 6 “Clean Water and Good Sanitary Conditions” is aimed at ensuring sustainable management of water resources and sanitation for all. This will save people from diseases, and society will be given the opportunity to be more productive in economic terms.

scholarly journals The agricultural water footprint and assessment of virtual water trade. Does Serbia import or export water?

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-194
Author(s):  
Ruzica Stricevic ◽  
Zorica Srdjevic ◽  
Nevenka Djurovic ◽  
Bojan Srdjevic
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Virtual Water Trade ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Cultivation Technology ◽  
The Republic

Limited water resources, an increase in water demand and a changing climate triggered the development of new concepts for assessment of water demand and water consumption locally and globally. The newest concepts that successfully tackle this issue are water footprint and virtual water trade. Aims of this study are: (1) to define specific water demand for the most important agricultural products in the international trade of the Republic of Serbia, (2) to assess possibilities of an increase in water productivity for those products, and (3) to assess sustainability of water resources in Serbia, based on the ratio of import/export during virtual water trade. Specific water demand for wheat, maize, sunflower, sugar beet and soya bean has been calculated and compared with specific water demand in other countries. Results prove that water productivity can be improved by, for example, using other varieties of crops or modifying cultivation technology. The ratio of imported/exported virtual water quantities for the periods 1995-1999 and 2010- 2013 in Serbia shows that more water was exported than imported. Sustainability of water resources in Serbia will not be endangered even if the export of agricultural products is increased.

scholarly journals Virtual water flow and water footprint as optimizer of water resource management in the state of Ceará, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-620
Author(s):  
Ivana Sampaio Leite ◽  
Rodolfo José Sabiá ◽  
Andrezza Pereira Matos ◽  
Camila Cavalcante Silva
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Multicriteria Decision Making ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
The State ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
The World ◽  
Virtual Water Flow ◽  
Hierarchy Process

The water exported indirectly by sending products to other countries, or vice versa, is called a virtual water flow and this can be measured through water footprint (WF) calculations, which represent the embedded water needed to manufacture a product. This present study aims to analyze the virtual water flow and the WF of the main products exported by municipalities in the state of Ceará in the year 2019, in order to enhance the management of the state’s water resources. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), the most commonly used multicriteria decision-making method in the world, was used to determine which product is more sustainably produced by the municipalities of Ceará, with the criteria: WF, price, and volume exported. The alternatives are at least two of the seven categories of products exported by the state where the “fruit or vegetable juices” class was preferred as the most sustainable. It was found that most cities in the state that export agricultural products use only one basin, which can lead to very low reservoir levels, while the other hydrographic basins in the state are underused. It is worth noting that the Metropolitan Basin concentrates on 11 out of 32 municipalities that export abroad and that it is responsible for supplying more than 4,074,730 inhabitants, according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2019).

scholarly journals Water Footprint and Virtual Water Accounting for China Using a Multi-Regional Input-Output Model

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanying Zhang ◽  
Yimin Chen ◽  
Min Huang
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
National Level ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Water Accounting

Water footprint (WF) is a measure of the actual appropriation of water resources. WF accounting can provide a scientific basis for the managements of water resources. In this study, a multi-regional input-output model is employed to measure the quantity of blue WF (WF) and inter-provincial virtual water (VW) flows in China for the years of 2007 and 2010. The results show that: (1) China’s total WF increased from 205.42 billion m3 in 2007 to 229.34 billion m3 in 2010. Approximately 42% of the WF was attributed to VW embodied in inter-provincial trade. Xinjiang is the largest province of VW export, whereas Shanghai had the largest net VW inflows. (2) From 2007 to 2010, the share of the agricultural sector in the entire VW trade declined, but was still as high as 82.78%, followed by the industrial sector. (3) The north-to-south and south-to-south patterns were witnessed in the domestic VW flows. The provincial WF variations are found to be affected by the per capital GDP, total water resources, per capita water resources, and urban population. (4) By linking VW with an integrated WAVE+ (water accounting and vulnerability evaluation) factor, it was found that virtual scarce water (VSW) was mainly exported by the provinces in northern China. At the national level, the amounts of VSW inflows were consistently greater than those of VSW outflows for both years, 2007 and 2010, implying an increased pressure on the provinces with water deprivation issues. Overall, these results can provide a basis for refining the spatiotemporal allocation of water resources and mitigating the conflict between water supply and demand in China.

scholarly journals Water Footprint of Food Consumption by Chinese Residents

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (20) ◽  
pp. 3979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Qing Tian ◽  
Huan Hu ◽  
Miao Yu
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Consumption Structure ◽  
Gray Water

Water shortages are a worldwide problem. Virtual water and the water footprint link water resources, human beings and agricultural products, and are effective tools to alleviate water-resources stress. The production of agricultural products consumes a large amount of water, and food is the most basic consumer good for human survival, so it is very necessary to study the water footprint of residents’ food consumption, which is also the weak point of current research on virtual water and the water footprint. This paper aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the water footprint of food consumption in China from the perspectives of urban and rural residents, per capita water footprint, water footprint structure and food consumption structure. The results revealed that the average water footprint of residents’ food consumption was 605.12 billion m3/year, basically showing an upward trend. Guangdong residents had the highest water footprint for food consumption due to the highest population and higher consumption of water-intensive foodstuffs such as grain and meat in their diet. The water footprint of Xizang residents’ food consumption was the lowest followed by Ningxia and Qinghai due to having the least population. The water footprint of food consumption consumed by urban residents was on the rise while that consumed by rural residents was on the decline in China, which was consistent with the changing trend of population. On the whole, the rural population consumed more virtual water embedded in food than the urban population. From the water footprint structure point, the contribution rate of the green water footprint is the largest, reaching 69.36%. The second is the gray water footprint and then the blue water footprint, accounting for 18.71% and 11.93%, respectively. From the perspective of the food consumption structure, grain and pig, beef and mutton consumption contributed significantly to the total water footprint of residents’ food consumption, contributing 37.5% and 22.56%, respectively. The study is helpful for water management and water allocation in rural and urban areas, improving agricultural technology to reduce the gray water footprint and optimizing food consumption structure, such as reducing the consumption of grain and meat.

Comedy and the Athenian Ideal

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Konstan
Keyword(s):  
American Democracy ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
The World ◽  
Hollywood Movies ◽  
Hellenistic World ◽  
City State ◽  
The City ◽  
New Comedy ◽  
A Performance

New Comedy was a Panhellenic phenomenon. It may be that a performance in Athens was still the acme of a comic playwright’s career, but Athens was no longer the exclusive venue of the genre. Yet Athens, or an idealized version of Athens, remained the setting or backdrop for New Comedy, whatever its provenance or intended audience. New Comedy was thus an important vehicle for the dissemination of the Athenian polis model throughout the Hellenistic world, and it was a factor in what has been termed ‘the great convergence’. The role of New Comedy in projecting an idealized image of the city-state may be compared to that of Hollywood movies in conveying a similarly romanticized, but not altogether false, conception of American democracy to populations around the world.

scholarly journals Internet Control and Auto-regulation in Singapore

2002 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Lee
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Contested Space ◽  
Media Technologies ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Internet Control ◽  
The World ◽  
City State ◽  
The City ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

This paper sets out to consider the use of new media technologies in the city-state of Singapore, widely acknowledged as one of the most technologically-advanced and networked societies in the world. Singapore is well-known as a politically censorious and highly-regulated society, which has been subjected to frequent and fierce insults and criticisms by those hailing from liberal democratic traditions. Indeed, much has been said about how the Singapore polity resonates with a climate of fear, which gives rise to the prevalent practice of self-censorship. This paper examines how certain groups in Singapore attempt to employ the Internet to find their voice and seek their desired social, cultural and political ends, and how the regulatory devices adopted by the highly pervasive People Action's Party (PAP) government respond to and set limits to these online ventures whilst concomitantly pursuing national technological cum economic development strategies. It concludes that the Internet in Singapore is a highly contested space where the art of governmentality, in the forms of information controls and 'automatic' modes of regulation, is tried, tested, and subsequently perfected.

scholarly journals Water saving through international trade of agricultural products

2006 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Chapagain ◽  
A. Y. Hoekstra ◽  
H. H. G. Savenije
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Global Water ◽  
National Water

Abstract. Many nations save domestic water resources by importing water-intensive products and exporting commodities that are less water intensive. National water saving through the import of a product can imply saving water at a global level if the flow is from sites with high to sites with low water productivity. The paper analyses the consequences of international virtual water flows on the global and national water budgets. The assessment shows that the total amount of water that would have been required in the importing countries if all imported agricultural products would have been produced domestically is 1605 Gm3/yr. These products are however being produced with only 1253 Gm3/yr in the exporting countries, saving global water resources by 352 Gm3/yr. This saving is 28 per cent of the international virtual water flows related to the trade of agricultural products and 6 per cent of the global water use in agriculture. National policy makers are however not interested in global water savings but in the status of national water resources. Egypt imports wheat and in doing so saves 3.6 Gm3/yr of its national water resources. Water use for producing export commodities can be beneficial, as for instance in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Brazil, where the use of green water resources (mainly through rain-fed agriculture) for the production of stimulant crops for export has a positive economic impact on the national economy. However, export of 28 Gm3/yr of national water from Thailand related to rice export is at the cost of additional pressure on its blue water resources. Importing a product which has a relatively high ratio of green to blue virtual water content saves global blue water resources that generally have a higher opportunity cost than green water.

scholarly journals Vulnerabilities of the European Union’s Economy to Hydrological Extremes Outside its Borders

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ertug Ercin ◽  
Daniel Chico ◽  
Ashok K. Chapagain
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Green Water ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The World ◽  
Current Water ◽  
External Water ◽  
The Eu

Climate change is leading to increased water scarcity and drought in many parts of the world. This has implications for the European Union (EU) because a lot of the water intensive goods consumed or used there are produced abroad. This makes the EU’s economy dependent on water resources well beyond its borders since when a country imports water intensive goods, indirectly it also imports virtual water (water needed to produce the imported goods). This study maps the EU’s global dependency on water resources outside its borders in terms of virtual water imports and assesses how water scarcity and drought may disrupt supplies of key food crops that it imports. The EU uses approximately 668 km3 of water for all of the goods it produces, consumes and exports, annually. Around 38% of that water comes from outside its borders, which means that the EU’s economy is highly dependent on the availability of water in other parts of the world. In the near future, supplies of certain crops to the EU could be disrupted due to water scarcity in other parts of the world; a large portion of the water used in producing soybeans, rice, sugarcane, cotton, almonds, pistachios and grapes for import to the EU comes from areas with significant or severe levels of water scarcity. Although the immediate risks to the EU’s economy are due to current water scarcity levels, any disruption to rainfall patterns that occur in the future, due to the effects of climate change in the countries of origin of key crops, could have a far greater impact. This is because as much as 92% of the EU’s total external water demand from agriculture is attributed to green water use, availability of which has relatively higher vulnerability to drought.

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