The World Water Council notes that the right to water "entitles everyone to sufficient, safe and acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic" functions. Yet, the consumption and production of water for personal and domestic purposes depend mainly on the water and water transformation processes available for industry and agriculture. Indeed, water use in industry and agriculture has become so critical within and between countries that the term virtual water has been coined to distinguish it as a unique topic of discussion.

Virtual water describes the inputs and outputs of water in the development of a service or good. Areas of water bodies, the water poverty index, agricultural water use intensity, and percent water use for industry are a sample of relevant indicators that can be used to describe virtual water balances. This post takes a quick look at each of these data sets. A review of these data contributes to the discussion of virtual water by presenting a snapshot of global water use.

The U.S. Geological Survey Global Land Cover Characteristics Database indicates that in 1993, 3,494,824 square kilometers of water bodies existed in the world. A majority of these bodies are located in Europe and North America. Over half can be found in developed countries. This information is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1. Ecosystem Area Water Bodies by Country

Figure 2. Ecosystem Area Water Bodies by Economic Status

The data in Figures 1 and 2 present information of both freshwater and saltwater. When specifically looking at freshwater data, freshwater scarcity is largely more prevalent in low and middle income countries than high income countries. This information is provided in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Water Poverty Index by Economic Status

Unless it is available by importation, to have freshwater, the data in Figures 1 and 2 imply a need for water desalination production for low and middle income countries. However, between 1992 and 2000 only 13 countries reported significant desalinated water production. A majority of this production occurred within high and middle income countries, as seen in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Desalinated Water Production by Economic Status

For countries without access to freshwater or desalination industries, consuming freshwater for agricultural use can potentially be a challenge. This is especially true for countries having high water use intensity for agriculture and industry. Figure 5 displays water use intensity for agriculture by country in 2000.

Figure 5. Agricultural Water Use Intensity by Country in Cubic Meters per Hectare per Year


Figure 6 shows the percent of water used for industry by region in 2000.

Figure 6. Percent Water Used for Industry by Region

For countries like China, which holds 7 percent of the world’s freshwater but 21 percent of the world’s population, access to virtual water information is critical for maintaining water security. Understanding the indicators for agricultural and industrial water use by country and region can help formulate sustainable national utilization and international trade policies pertaining to water. With the availability and use of applicable information, opportunities increase for more efficient agricultural, industrial, personal and domestic water use and the global protection of the right to water.

Watersheds of the World: Global Maps

World Water Council

Agricultural Inputs: Water Use Intensity

Desalination: Desalinated Water Production

Ecosystem Area: Water Bodies

Freshwater Indices: Water Poverty Index

Groundwater Withdrawals: Percent Used for Industrial Purposes

Image 1: Traumkrieger