The Ingenieur Vol 57 January-March 2014 The Ingenieur Vol 57 January-March 2014 | Seite 31

Virtual water is not just about
water consumed in production
area but also the pollution effect
at that region.

consumption is rising steadily
due to population expansion and
consumption patterns are tilting
toward increasing demand. This
will add on to the water stress in
water scarce countries.
Water is a cheap but a
bulky resource and hence it
is costly to transport, so that
usage in one location is often not
readily substitutable in another

Water is a cheap but a bulky resource and hence is costly to
transport, so that the use in one location is often not readily
substitutable in another location.

location. Just like international
trade where the element of
comparative advantage is one
driving factor; nations gain
from trade if they focus on, or
specialize in, the production
of goods and services for
which they have a comparative
advantage
while
importing
goods and services for which
they have less advantage or are
less competitive. The analogy
applies to different nations with
different available water sources
and usability.
At the moment, there
is no uniform methodology
for calculating virtual water
estimates. This has prompted
calls for some form of
standardization and more virtual
water literature. Some bodies
have suggested to the World
Water Council that Governments
and international organisations
should include vi