International trade of scarce water
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use input-output analysis to include indirect virtual water flows and find that the structure of global virtual water networks changes significantly after adjusting for water scarcity, which is a growing problem in virtual water trade.
About: This article is published in Ecological Economics.The article was published on 2013-10-01. It has received 340 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Water scarcity & Virtual water.
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TL;DR: The most comprehensive and most highly resolved economic input–output framework of the world economy together with a detailed database of global material flows are used to calculate the full material requirements of all countries covering a period of two decades and demonstrate that countries’ use of nondomestic resources is about threefold larger than the physical quantity of traded goods.
Abstract: Metrics on resource productivity currently used by governments suggest that some developed countries have increased the use of natural resources at a slower rate than economic growth (relative decoupling) or have even managed to use fewer resources over time (absolute decoupling). Using the material footprint (MF), a consumption-based indicator of resource use, we find the contrary: Achievements in decoupling in advanced economies are smaller than reported or even nonexistent. We present a time series analysis of the MF of 186 countries and identify material flows associated with global production and consumption networks in unprecedented specificity. By calculating raw material equivalents of international trade, we demonstrate that countries’ use of nondomestic resources is, on average, about threefold larger than the physical quantity of traded goods. As wealth grows, countries tend to reduce their domestic portion of materials extraction through international trade, whereas the overall mass of material consumption generally increases. With every 10% increase in gross domestic product, the average national MF increases by 6%. Our findings call into question the sole use of current resource productivity indicators in policy making and suggest the necessity of an additional focus on consumption-based accounting for natural resource use.
1,182 citations
Cites background from "International trade of scarce water..."
...] For comparison, 26% of global CO2 emissions (42), 30% of the world’s threatened species (18), and 32%of theworld’s scarce water consumption (16) can be linked to internationally traded commodities....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a synthesis of studies on the geospatial separation of consumption and production, and suggest that indicators of environmental and social footprints of international trade must inform assessments of progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Abstract: Globalization has led to an increasing geospatial separation of production and consumption, and, as a consequence, to an unprecedented displacement of environmental and social impacts through international trade. A large proportion of total global impacts can be associated with trade, and the trend is rising. Advances in global multi-region input-output models have allowed researchers to draw detailed, international supply-chain connections between harmful production in social and environmental hotspots and affluent consumption in global centres of wealth. The general direction of impact displacement is from developed to developing countries—an increase of health impacts in China from air pollution linked to export production for the United States being one prominent example. The relocation of production across countries counteracts national mitigation policies and may negate ostensible achievements in decoupling impacts from economic growth. A comprehensive implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals therefore requires the inclusion of footprint indicators to avoid loopholes in national sustainability assessments. Indicators of environmental and social footprints of international trade must inform assessments of progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, suggests a synthesis of studies on the geospatial separation of consumption and production.
496 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors quantify the scale and structure of virtual water trade and consumption-based water footprints at the provincial level in China based on a multi-regional input-output model.
344 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed account of emissions embodied in international trade is used to investigate the phenomenon of emissions leakage and find that the sectors successfully holding or lowering their domestic emissions are often the same as those increasing their imports of embodied CO2.
Abstract: Many developed countries in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol have been able to report decreasing emissions, and some have officially fulfilled their CO2 reduction commitments. This is in part because current reporting and regulatory regimes allow these countries to displace emissions intensive production offshore. Using a new highly detailed account of emissions embodied in international trade we investigate this phenomenon of emissions leakage. We independently confirm previous findings that adjusting for trade, developed countries emissions have increased, not decreased. We find that the sectors successfully holding or lowering their domestic emissions are often the same as those increasing their imports of embodied CO2. We also find that the fastest growing flow paths of embodied CO2 largely originate outside the Kyoto Annex B signatory nations. Finally, we find that historically the same phenomenon of emissions displacement has already occurred for air pollution, with the result that despite aggressive legislation in major emitters total global air pollution emissions have increased. If regulatory policies do not account for embodied imports, global emissions are likely to rise even if developed countries emitters enforce strong national emissions targets.
294 citations
Cites methods from "International trade of scarce water..."
...All results are based on the Eora environmentally extended multi-region input-output (MRIO) table (Lenzen et al., 2012a, 2013b) and are available online at http://worldmrio.com....
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...For a detailed explanation of how this model is implemented with the Eora MRIO the reader is referred to previously published descriptions (Lenzen et al., 2012b, 2013a)....
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...This study uses a new set of high-resolution global multi-region input–output (MRIO) tables (Lenzen et al., 2012a, 2013b) to investigate flows of embodied CO2 and air pollution over time....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used global emissions databases, a global nitrogen cycle model and a global input-output database of domestic and international trade to calculate the nitrogen footprints for 188 countries as the sum of emissions of ammonia, nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide to the atmosphere and of nitrogen potentially exportable to water bodies.
Abstract: Anthropogenic emissions of reactive nitrogen have had severe environmental impacts. An analysis of reactive nitrogen emissions from the production, consumption and transport of commodities attributes roughly a quarter to international trade. Anthropogenic emissions of reactive nitrogen to the atmosphere and water bodies can damage human health and ecosystems1,2. As a measure of a nation’s contribution to this potential damage, a country’s nitrogen footprint has been defined as the quantity of reactive nitrogen emitted during the production, consumption and transportation of commodities consumed within that country, whether those commodities are produced domestically or internationally3. Here we use global emissions databases4,5, a global nitrogen cycle model6, and a global input–output database of domestic and international trade7,8 to calculate the nitrogen footprints for 188 countries as the sum of emissions of ammonia, nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide to the atmosphere, and of nitrogen potentially exportable to water bodies. Per-capita footprints range from under 7 kg N yr−1 in some developing countries to over 100 kg N yr−1 in some wealthy nations. Consumption in China, India, the United States and Brazil is responsible for 46% of global emissions. Roughly a quarter of the global nitrogen footprint is from commodities that were traded across country borders. The main net exporters have significant agricultural, food and textile exports, and are often developing countries, whereas important net importers are almost exclusively developed economies. We conclude that substantial local nitrogen pollution is driven by demand from consumers in other countries.
292 citations
References
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TL;DR: The study illustrates the global dimension of water consumption and pollution by showing that several countries heavily rely on foreign water resources and that many countries have significant impacts on water consumptionand pollution elsewhere.
Abstract: This study quantifies and maps the water footprint (WF) of humanity at a high spatial resolution. It reports on consumptive use of rainwater (green WF) and ground and surface water (blue WF) and volumes of water polluted (gray WF). Water footprints are estimated per nation from both a production and consumption perspective. International virtual water flows are estimated based on trade in agricultural and industrial commodities. The global annual average WF in the period 1996–2005 was 9,087 Gm3/y (74% green, 11% blue, 15% gray). Agricultural production contributes 92%. About one-fifth of the global WF relates to production for export. The total volume of international virtual water flows related to trade in agricultural and industrial products was 2,320 Gm3/y (68% green, 13% blue, 19% gray). The WF of the global average consumer was 1,385 m3/y. The average consumer in the United States has a WF of 2,842 m3/y, whereas the average citizens in China and India have WFs of 1,071 and 1,089 m3/y, respectively. Consumption of cereal products gives the largest contribution to the WF of the average consumer (27%), followed by meat (22%) and milk products (7%). The volume and pattern of consumption and the WF per ton of product of the products consumed are the main factors determining the WF of a consumer. The study illustrates the global dimension of water consumption and pollution by showing that several countries heavily rely on foreign water resources and that many countries have significant impacts on water consumption and pollution elsewhere.
1,478 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1966
TL;DR: The only comprehensive introduction which Leontief has written to his model of Input-Output Economics, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in economic Science in 1972, is as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The only comprehensive introduction which Leontief has written to his model of Input-Output Economics, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 1972. Many of the chapters have already appeared as articles in journals, but Leontief's writings have a range and consistency that gives this collection a sense of coherence. The book begin with non-technical articles on the theory of Input-Output Economics and progresses to more technical essays, and then to specific applications of the theory. This edition has been thoroughly revised, at least one third of the material being new.
1,309 citations
01 Dec 2011
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors quantified and mapped the water footprint (WF) of humanity at a high spatial resolution and reported on consumptive use of rainwater (green WF), ground and surface water (blue WF) and volumes of water polluted (gray WF).
Abstract: This study quantifies and maps the water footprint (WF) of humanity at a high spatial resolution. It reports on consumptive use of rainwater (green WF) and ground and surface water (blue WF) and volumes of water polluted (gray WF). Water footprints are estimated per nation from both a production and consumption perspective. International virtual water flows are estimated based on trade in agricultural and industrial commodities. The global annual average WF in the period 1996–2005 was 9,087 Gm3/y (74% green, 11% blue, 15% gray). Agricultural production contributes 92%. About one-fifth of the global WF relates to production for export. The total volume of international virtual water flows related to trade in agricultural and industrial products was 2,320 Gm3/y (68% green, 13% blue, 19% gray). The WF of the global average consumer was 1,385 m3/y. The average consumer in the United States has a WF of 2,842 m3/y, whereas the average citizens in China and India have WFs of 1,071 and 1,089 m3/y, respectively. Consumption of cereal products gives the largest contribution to the WF of the average consumer (27%), followed by meat (22%) and milk products (7%). The volume and pattern of consumption and the WF per ton of product of the products consumed are the main factors determining the WF of a consumer. The study illustrates the global dimension of water consumption and pollution by showing that several countries heavily rely on foreign water resources and that many countries have significant impacts on water consumption and pollution elsewhere.
1,265 citations
01 Jan 1967
1,187 citations
"International trade of scarce water..." refers background in this paper
...…= T bx−1 is a coefficient matrix describing inputs into the production of these sectors, the hat symbol denotes diagonalization of a vector, (I − A)−1 is the so-called Leontief inverse, m = q (I − A)−1 is the so-called water multipliers, and 1y = {1,1,…,1} is a summation operator (Leontief, 1966)....
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TL;DR: The presented method is useful for environmental decision-support in the production of water-intensive products as well as for environmentally responsible value-chain management.
Abstract: A method for assessing the environmental impacts of freshwater consumption was developed. This method considers damages to three areas of protection: human health, ecosystem quality, and resources. The method can be used within most existing life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. The relative importance of water consumption was analyzed by integrating the method into the Eco-indicator-99 LCIA method. The relative impact of water consumption in LCIA was analyzed with a case study on worldwide cotton production. The importance of regionalized characterization factors for water use was also examined in the case study. In arid regions, water consumption may dominate the aggregated life-cycle impacts of cotton-textile production. Therefore, the consideration of water consumption is crucial in life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies that include water-intensive products, such as agricultural goods. A regionalized assessment is necessary, since the impacts of water use vary greatly as a function of location. T...
1,156 citations