The Role of Virtue Water in a Global Perspective

The Role of Virtue Water in a Global Perspective

Introduction

Water is a commodity in the world that can be equated to life. When a country has enough water to sustain its population, it is richer than one with precious minerals and a dying population due to famine and drought. Water is valuable for survival in life and should be used appropriately in conservative measures. The concept of virtual water encourages the appropriate use of water in production by enlightening states on using food production for trade so as to create economic development and growth (Hoekstra, 2011).

Definition of Terms

Virtual water can be defined as the volume of fresh water used to produce a good that is measured at the place of production as the sum of water that is used in various steps of a production chain (Hoekstra, 2007). Another definition (IOP, 2011) states that virtual water is the amount of water taken to produce a good or a service. For instance; it is estimated that the production of one kilogram of beef requires fifteen thousand liters of water. Virtual water can also be described as the total volume of water needed to produce and process a commodity or a service.

There are two types of virtual water which include; blue water and green water. Blue water is found on the surface of the earth through rivers, lakes and in the ground in form of aquifers whereas green water is hidden in the ground is often recognized as value (21^st Century Challenges, 2008- 2014). The global water cycle is a series of the evaporation and precipitation processes that elaborate the distribution of water on the surface of the earth. The source of water from the many water reserves in the world is used in plants and animals and by humans so as to produce goods and services that are beneficial (UNESCO, 2009-2014). Virtual water trade can be defined as the hidden flow of water in food and other commodities that is traded from one place to another. This form of trade constitutes of the importing and exporting of goods and services with the consideration of their water value. Virtual water can be identified as embedded or embodied water (Allen, 1998).

The Concept of Virtual Water

The analogy of virtual water has existed since the start of trade. Barter trade is an example of virtual water trade that was used in the past. The idea of virtual water trade is aimed at gaining proper management skills for water usage. Water is first used for domestic purposes. When this usage through domestic chores and agricultural production are rounded up in the world, an outstanding summation reflects water that has been wasted due to misappropriate use (World Water Council, 2004).

There is a virtue water flow in a commodity from the country that exports to the country that imports. In countries that face water scarcity, the importation of products that require large volumes of water in production relieves the burden of water exhaustion. Such countries identify crops that use a lot of water in production and import them so as to use the water at their disposal for other necessities. Other states would prefer to import crops that they could grow so as to create international relation platforms on trade. This also allows them to conserve the water they would have used in the production of such products.

Countries that have a low water supply can also manage their water sources so as to produce and export crops in exchange for other products and services. For instance, Canada has sufficient water but imports oranges and bananas so as to conserve her water supply. Jordan is a semi – arid country that produces and exports citrus fruits and vegetables (World Water Council, 2004). Virtual water trade is an optimization and possibility of the use of water as a scarce commodity in terms of environmental, social and economic values. This results to environmental conservation and economic and social growth and development. Trade among states also improves international relations among states by helping water scarce states attain water security and alleviate the constraints in the environment by using appropriate practices for particular commodities and services.

Role of Virtual Water Trade

The issue of water scarcity is a global concern since it affects the entire human race and cases of droughts and famine create a decline in interstate relations. The virtual water trade encourages water conservation practices that yield positive impacts. This trade also brings about economic growth through trade. Other states gain financial benefits from exporting food products. Such trade brings about the essence of cash crops. This principle also provides a platform for international relation through the import and export services.

Many states also adopt appropriate agricultural practices that conserve more water. Some of these practices are through the use of nutrition equivalence. The issue of nutrition equivalence is essential in creating a substitute product with a similar or higher nutrition value to a state that does not have enough water to grow a particular crop. This enables the country to venture in producing commodities that do not strain the water production of the country. For instance, a state can choose to produce potatoes that wheat since with 1m³ of water in potatoes is the same nutrient level as 2.5m³ of water in wheat (Renault, 2002).

Challenges and Possible Solutions to the Use of Virtual Water

The amount of existing virtual water is less than the water needed in most states since 80% of humanity live in places where water security is threatened. The status of water scarcity is increases on a daily basis due to the growth in population. When population in a state increases, the need for water in production also rises. This becomes a concern in states that are semi-arid and arid because they cannot be able to sustain their own population due to drought and famine (IOP, 2011).

Another constraint of the use of the virtual water principle is the fact that water production is not usually constant since rainfall patterns may change due to environmental pollution. This can therefore cause faults in the prediction of the efficiency of the principle. The amount of water used in the production of some commodities especially plants may differ due to various agricultural practices and the weather conditions as well. For instance, a crop that has been planted on a rainy season will yield more than a crop that has been planted on a dry season. In terms of services that need water such as domestic activities which include cooking, bathing, brushing and cleaning, an estimate to the amount of water used can change over time due to some factors such as health complications that can lead to the use of more water in washing and cooking due to concerns of hygiene and medical requirements (Oleson, 2014).

Some possible solutions that can address the challenges found in the use of virtual water are mainly in relation to conservation practices. Social norms should be set in states that have low water security with regards to family productivity. Such a population should be encouraged on using family planning techniques that help control an increase in population. Healthy agricultural practices that encourage water conservation should also be put into use such as the use of irrigation and green houses that conserve the amount of water used and lost into the atmosphere through transpiration especially for crop production. Afforestation should also be encouraged so as to increase precipitation which will in turn increase the volume of water in the lakes and rivers in a state (Davidow and Malone, 2015).

Conclusion

The use of the virtual water trade is a practical principle that requires global support and participation so as to control the state of water insecurity in many states in the world. Although some challenges are associated with the efficiency of the use of virtual water, a collaborated effort in many states shows a significant change in water conservation. This principle also encourages global peace by creating international relation among states in the world through trade.

References

Allen, J.A. (1998). Virtual Water: A strategic Resource, Global Solutions to Regional Deficits. Ground Water.

Davidow, B., &Malone, M. S. (2015, 20^th March). Virtual Water. Wall Street Journal.

Hoekstra, A.Y. (2011). Towards Quantification of the Water Footprint of Paper: A First Estimate of its Consumptive Component. Springer.

Hoekstra, A.Y. (2007). Water Footprints of Nations. Water Resource Management.

Institute of Physics- IOP. (2011, 7^th June ). Virtual Water Cannot Remedy Global Fresh Water Shortage. http://www.iop.org>news>2011>june

Oleson, T. (2014, 21^st September). Virtual Water. Earth Magazine. http://www.earthmag.org/article/virtual-water-tracking-unseen-water-goods-and-resources

Renault, D. (2002). Value of Virtual Water in Food Principles and Virtues. Rome, Italy.

UNESCO. (2009- 2014). Facts 25: Virtual Water Flows. http://unesco.org/new/en/natural-science/environment/water/wwap/facts-and-figures-wwdr3/fact-25-virtual-water-flows/

World Water Council. (2004). E- Conference Synthesis: Virtual Water Trade Consensus Choices. World Water Council.

21^st Century Challenges. (2008- 2014). What is Virtual Water? Royal Geographical Society. http://21Centurychallenges.org