Journal of Earth Science & Climatic Change
Open Access

Abstract

In recent decades, China�s fast economic and social development has put a heavy burden on its water demand. Located in the south of China, Guangdong Province is facing more and more serious water crisis. Water footprint is an indicator that is used to measure the water use derived from the consumed products. The water footprint concept will help the policymakers to make more rational policies for water resources management. This paper presents a framework of calculating and evaluating the water footprint and the virtual water trade of three sectors in Guangdong Province with a single regional input-output model. The results showed that the virtual water intensity (water use per final demand, m3/Yuan) for the primary sector is the highest among the three sectors. However, the primary sector contributes most to the decrease of the total virtual water intensity in 2012. The primary sector also has the highest direct water use rate (80%), which is calculated as the proportion of direct virtual water intensity to the total virtual water intensity. While the direct water use rate of the second and third sectors is under 20%. Compared to the water footprint in 2007, the water footprint of the three sectors all increased in 2012 (from 23.9 billion m3 to 37.5 billion m3). The proportion of the external water footprint to the total water footprint has been increasing for the five years considered in Guangdong Province. The external water footprint of the primary sector accounts for 40% of the water footprint of the primary sector, which means that the food demand in Guangdong Province largely depends on imported production. The paper finally suggests that the policymakers in Guangdong Province should keep reinforcing the water saving achievement, adjusting the industrial structure and trade patterns, as well as seeking for the possibility of the virtual water strategy for the province.

Biography

Zhou Tao has completed his PhD from Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Sciences. He mainly investigates sustainable development, especially, the indicators and methodologies for measuring sustainable development and their applications. He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals.

Email: gzdxzt@163.com