1. WATER FOOTPRINT ACCOUNTING FOR
CATCHMENTS AND RIVER BASINS
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, RÍO PIEDRAS
CIAM 6115 - Ambiente Terrestre
Dr. Jorge R. Ortiz Zayas
November 22, 2011

2. THE WATER FOOTPRINT NETWORK
Mission: Promoting sustainable,
equitable and efficient water use
through development of shared
standards on water footprint
accounting and guidelines for the
reduction and offsetting of impacts of
water footprints.
Network: bringing together expertise
from academia, businesses, civil
society, governments and
international organisations.
Professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra
Twente Water Centre
University of Twente, The Netherlands

3. ASSESSING OUR WATER FOOTPRINT
Climate change, rapid population growth and
unsustainable practices are putting our water
resources at risk. Whether it is the fuel that makes our
cars run or the packaging that keeps our food fresh,
the products we use every day require a large
amount of water to produce. In a water stressed
world, the water footprint of products will be a key
environmental indicator in the drive towards an
increased sustainable development.

4. WATER FOOTPRINT WITHIN A
GEOGRAPHIC AREA
The water footprint within a
geographic area is defined
as the total freshwater
consumption and pollution
within the boundaries of the
area. It is crucial to clearly
define the boundaries of the
area considered. The area
can be a catchment area, a
river basin, a province, state
or nation or any other
hydrological or administrative
spatial unit.

5. Water footprint of national consumption
► total amount of water that is used to produce the goods and services
consumed by the inhabitants of the nation.
► two components:
• internal water footprint – inside the country.
• external water footprint – in other countries.
► water footprint of national consumption =
water footprint within the nation + virtual water import
– virtual water export

6. WATER ACCOUNTING FRAMEWORK
Internal External WF of
+ =
water water national Consumption
footprint footprint consumpt.
+ + +
Water use Virtual water Virtual
for export + import for = water Export
re-export export
= = =
WF Virtual Virtual
+ =
within water water
nation import budget
Production
Import
The traditional
statistics on
water use, but
then limited to
withdrawals

7. Transparency along the supply chain
Indirect Indirect Indirect Indirect
water water water water
footprint footprint footprint footprint
Feed crop Livestock Food Retailer Consumer
cultivation farming processor
Direct Direct Direct Direct Direct
water water water water water
footprint footprint footprint footprint footprint

8. The water footprint of a product
Green water footprint
► volume of rainwater evaporated or incorporated into vegetation,
Evapotranspiration, no infiltrates, no runoff
Blue water footprint
► volume of surface or groundwater
incorporated into product or returned to other catchment or the sea.
Grey water footprint
► volume of polluted water

9. Components of a water footprint
Direct water footprint Indirect water footprint
consumption
Green water footprint Green water footprint
Water
Water withdrawal
Return flow Blue water footprint Blue water footprint
pollution
Water
Grey water footprint Grey water footprint
The traditional
statistics
on water use
[Hoekstra et al., 2011]

10. TYPES OF WATER

11. Country/region National water footprint (Gm3/year)
from the from the
perspective of perspective of
production consumption
Australia 91 27
Canada 123 63
China 893 883
Egypt 59 70
EU25 559 744
India 1013 987
Japan 54 146
Jordan 1.8 6.3
USA 750 696
Traditional statistics WF within WF of national
on water use, but a nation consumption
then restricted to
water withdrawal [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

12. Regional virtual water balances
(only agricultural trade)
Arrows show trade flows >10 Gm3/yr
[Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

13. Water footprint per capita
3000
Domestic water consumption Industrial goods Agricultural goods
2500
Water footprint (m /cap/yr)
2000
3
1500 Global average water footprint
1000
500
0
Pakistan
Mexico
Russia
Thailand
Indonesia
Brazil
USA
Italy
Nigeria
China
India
Japan
[Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

14. Quiñones, F. (2011). Disponibilidad, Condición y Manejo de los Recursos de Agua de Puerto Rico.

15. CAGÜITAS RIVER

16. CALCULATION OF THE WATER FOOTPRINT
Top-down approach
Bottom-up approach .
The bottom-up versus the top-down approach
• The bottom-up approach depends on the quality of consumption
data, while the top-down approach relies on the quality of trade
data.
• The bottom-up approach will yield a more reliable estimate than the
top-down approach.

17. AVERAGE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
IN PUERTO RICO

18. STATIONS OPERATED BY THE USGS

19. AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
IN PUERTO RICO, 1971-2000

20. WATER FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR
Your individual water footprint is equal to the water
required to produce the goods and services
consumed by you. Assess your own unique water
footprint. The calculations are based on the water
requirements per unit of product as in your country of
residence.
• Food consumption
• Domestic water use
• Indoors
• Outdoors
• Industrial goods consumption
• What is your gross yearly income?
The water footprint calculators are under copyright:
© 2005 Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Ashok K. Chapagain and Mesfin M. Mekonnen

21. The water footprint of a consumer
Virtual Virtual Virtual
water water water
flow Food flow flow
Farmer Processor Retailer Consumer
green grey blue grey blue grey blue grey
and water water water water water water water
blue use use use
water
use
Indirect WF Direct WF
[Hoekstra, 2008]

22. Surface and Ground
Water Use in Puerto Rico
Surface Water,
Ground Water, 576 mgd, 80 %
147 mgd, 20 %
Total Water Use in 2005
723 million gallons per day (mgd)
Vulnerabilidad de las cadenas de suministros de alimentos de Puerto Rico, el
Quiñones, F. (2011). Disponibilidad, Condición y Manejo de los Recursos de Agua de Puerto Comas Pagán, PhD
cambio climático y estrategias de adaptación, Myrna Rico.

23. Vulnerabilidad de las cadenas de suministros de alimentos de Puerto Rico, el
cambio climático y estrategias de adaptación, Myrna Comas Pagán, PhD

24. Vulnerabilidad de las cadenas de suministros de alimentos de Puerto Rico,
el cambio climático y estrategias de adaptación, Myrna Comas Pagán, PhD

25. [Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008]

28. POPULATION IN THE RIVER BASIN
2,444 19,258
2,664 11,310
22,406
8,008
27,464

29. POPULATION IN THE RIVER BASIN
Municipio Censo 2010 Censo 2000
Caguas 80,438 77,963
Aguas Buenas 13,116 13,029
Total 93,554 90,992
Barrio Muestra
Cañabon 44
Cañaboncito 117 Unidades de Vivienda
Barrio Unidades de Vivienda Ocupadas
Barrio Pueblo 105 Cañabon 4317 3952
Bairoa - C 78 Cañaboncito 11647 10380
Barrio Pueblo 10920 9360
Bairoa - AB 9
Bairoa - C 7772 6957
Cagüitas 10 Bairoa - AB 968 819
Cagüitas 1043 925
Sumidero 32
Sumidero 3136 2817
Total 396 Total 39803 35210
“Let’s be realistic and do the impossible” -Ernesto “Che” Guevara

32. Sectors of Barrio-Pueblo at Caguas

33. INDUSTRIAL GOODS CONSUMPTION
Aguas Buenas Household Income Number
Caguas Household Income Number
Households 9,123
Households 48,185
Less than $10,000 3,793
Less than $10,000 15,942
$10,000 to $14,999 1,420 $10,000 to $14,999 6,488
$15,000 to $24,999 1,679 $15,000 to $24,999 8,931
$25,000 to $34,999 1,001 $25,000 to $34,999 5,810
$35,000 to $49,999 658 $35,000 to $49,999 5,330
$50,000 to $74,999 300 $50,000 to $74,999 3,526
$75,000 to $99,999 147 $75,000 to $99,999 1,130
$100,000 to $149,999 46 $100,000 to $149,999 668
$150,000 to $199,999 26 $150,000 to $199,999 141
$200,000 or more 53 $200,000 or more 219
Median household income
Median household income (dollars) $12,463.00 (dollars) $16,558.00
Average household size 3.13 Average household size 2.97
Average income per member of Average income per member
household $3,981.79 of household $5,575.08
What is your gross yearly income?

34. WATER FOOTPRINT ASSESSMENT
• A water footprint study can be undertaken for many different
reasons.
• The phase of water footprint accounting is the phase in which
data are collected and accounts are developed.
• The phase of sustainability assessment, in which the water
footprint is evaluated from an environmental perspective, as well
as from a social and economic perspective.
• In the final phase, response options, strategies or policies are
formulated.

35. Environmental sustainability criterion:
Grey water footprint < available assimilation capacity
Assimilative capacity
Grey water footprint < runoff
not fully used
Full assimilative
Grey water footprint = runoff capacity of the river
used
Pollution exceeding
Grey water footprint > runoff the assimilative
capacity of the
environment

36. LOCAL ACTION PLANS AND
WATER POLICY
• Water allocation and resource protection
Providing specific allocations to protect the ecological integrity of water
bodies and ensuring sufficient availability for domestic consumption before
industrial water users are allocated water rights.
• Water use efficiency
Of particular relevance to the drive for efficiency is the government’s drive
for geographic-specific, water conservation/demand management.
• Water use licensing and enforcement
This relates to where water rights/licenses are withheld for certain types of
activity considered to have a detrimental impact on water resources and
the monitoring and enforcement of these directives.
• Economic instruments and pricing
The use of economic instruments to manage water will become more
apparent in the future. This will include full cost pricing in relation to water
infrastructure development, water charges related to efficiency of use of
the resource and reviewing the structure of the polluter pays principle
insofar as waste discharges are concerned.

37. Reducing humanity’s water footprint – Consumers
Reduction of the direct water footprint:
 water saving toilet, shower-head, etc.
“Save water in the supermarket”
Reduction of the indirect water footprint:
 substitution of a consumer product that has a large water footprint
by a different type of product that has a smaller water footprint;
 substitution of a consumer product that has a large water footprint
by the same product that is derived from another source with
smaller water footprint.
Ask product transparency from businesses and regulation
from governments

39. WATER – AGUA – DLO – EAU – जल
“Water is the sleeping giant issue of the 21st century
and we all need wake up about it.” – Robert Redford

40. PROYECCIONES DE DEMANDA DE AGUA
POR EL SECTOR AGRÍCOLA AL 2030
Quiñones, F. (2011). Disponibilidad, Condición y Manejo de los Recursos de Agua de Puerto Rico.

41. QUESTION OF CONVERSATION
Is Puerto Rico prepared to internalize its water
footprint of consumptions (to increase its
production) without affecting the water quality?
What would need to happen in order to do this
and how would you do it?
Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)

42. WATER FOOTPRINT APPLICATION