Your water footprint is basically how much water was used directly and indirectly in the production and transport of what you are eating and or drinking, using, or wearing.
A water footprint has 3 components; green, blue and grey. Together they paint a comprehensive picture of water use by defining the source of water consumed; this consists of rainfall/soil moisture or surface/groundwater and the volume of freshwater required for absorption of pollutants.
Green Water Footprint: This consists of water that has fallen to earth and been stored in the roots of plants and is used by plants or has evaporated or transpired, and is very relevant for agricultural, horticultural and forestry products.
Blue Water Footprint: A blue water footprint is water that has been sourced from groundwater resources or surface water resources and is either incorporated into a product, evaporated, water that has been removed from one body of water and returned to another or returned at a later time. Examples include industry and domestic water use and irrigated agriculture use.
Grey Water Footprint: A grey water footprint is the amount of fresh water needed to absorb pollutants to meet specific water quality standards. This includes water that has leached from the soil or other diffuse sources or impervious surfaces, or point-source pollution that has been expelled into a freshwater resource either directly via a pipe or indirectly via runoff.
It is important to know what the water footprints of products are so that one can trace where one can save water. Many countries have significantly externalised their water footprint by importing water-intensive goods which puts pressure on the countries where the goods are manufactured, which are in many cases countries which cannot afford it and where wise water governance and conservation are sorely lacking.
Only by understanding the water footprint can we fully appreciate the human impact on freshwater systems and better understand and address water shortages and water pollution.
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