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TitleWater footprint overview in the governmental, public policy, and corporate contexts
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsLiu, J, Orr, S
PaginationP. 73-79; 26 refs.; 3 fig.
Date Published2009-08-16
Keywordschina, decision making, water consumption, water management, water quantity
Abstract

Water footprints have evolved from the quantification of virtual water theory and have been linked to advocacy, awareness, measurement for baselines and, now, to water management decision-making. To date, the role of water footprints in water policy has been limited to a few examples in the government and the corporate contexts. In this article, we show how both the government in China and one particular brewery company (SABMiller) have used the water footprint concept. In China, a sharp increase in the per capita water footprint has been reported, mainly due to diet shifts in recent decades. Partly in response to this change, the Chinese government has promoted the strategy of a “water-saving society development” to enhance water use efficiency and reduce the national water footprint. Similarly, SABMiller have used the water footprint method to estimate water reliance in their supply chain and overlay this information with business risks in the value chain. We conclude that the evolvement of the water footprint concept from basic quantitative studies to a powerful advocacy tool can help support policy development, decision-making and business risk awareness for efficient water use. [authors abstract]

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