Let me put it simply , Virtual water is the amount of water consumed in the production process of a food such as cereals, Vegetables and meat and dairy products.
The water is 'Virtual' because it is not contained anymore in the product. for e.g. to produce a Kg of wheat we need about 1000 litres of water.
TABLE 1 gives the?Virtual water content of some common products.
Let us build on this a bit further and link food, water and trade. If a country exports a water-intensive product to another country, it amounts to exporting water in a Virtual form. This 'Virtual water trade' is nothing but the Virtual water content of the product times the trade volume of that product. What this means for the importing country is that it does not have to consume that amount of water in domestically producing the product.
If the importing country is already facing water scarcity, this represents real water savings and less pressure on its water resources. If the water-exporting country has abundant resources, the entire flow becomes an efficient instrument in improving global water use efficiency. Thus Virtual water trade has been touted as a 'very successful means by which water deficit economies can remedy their deficits'
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But in reality, things don't happen so neatly. The following table will illustrate this to you. The global volume of crop-related virtual water trade is estimated to be about 695 gm3 ??per year on an average between 1995 and 1999.
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The Figures in the?TABLE 2?shows the
The problem with the so-called water abundant countries is whether they will remain so in the future if they continuously 'export' their water resources.
Thus virtual water exports may seem feasible now, but not without its adverse consequences for these countries in the future
There are also some extremely important issues that come forward while talking of virtual water trade as a solution to water scarcity mainly from the point of view of the importing countries.
FINANCING OF IMPORTS
The water savings from the projected large increase of food imports by the developing countries are particularly beneficial if they are the result of strong economic growth that generates the necessary foreign exchange to pay for the food imports.. More serious food security problems arise when high food imports are the result of slow agriculture and economic development that fails to keep pace with basic food demand driven by population and income growth.
FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY
A Country must be food secure before any trade can begin.
Some countries which have to import food for one or other reason, if economically well off (high GNP) can import food products (virtual water import). But countries such as Sub-Saharan having food deficiency and low GNP or those countries having food sufficiency with low and low-middle GNP may not prefer to practice virtual water trade. Their socio-economic and other societal compulsions may not allow it.
Many countries could resort to virtual water trade in order to achieve a sufficient food supply for their people, but many governments do not want or simply cannot afford to become dependent on global trade. This is crucial for countries like India and China'. they feel that because they have such large populations, the world market would not be able to supply their food demands in any crisis and so, as much as?? possible , they want to take care of their own food needs.
IMPACT ON LIVELIHOODS
Virtual water trade as a policy option also has implications on local situations and people. When a country opts consciously for virtual water imports to alleviate its water problem, it is also making a choice of altering its cropping patterns in a significant way. This could deprive farmers and their families of their livelihoods unless alternatives are developed in terms of other crops or alternative employment. In their absence, this choice could have serious fallout, as unemployment is a problem most of the virtual water importing countries already face.
It may be said in conclusion that, in spite of all its shortcomings, the concept of virtual water has certainly lent a new perspective to discussions on water management and the Interlinking between water, Food and trade. It also extended itself to newer concepts like WATER FOOTPRINT.
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