Aside from carbon footprint, water footprint by country is also recorded. Everything we do requires water and the way water is appropriated in each industry is measured to make a full account of how much water each country uses. Through that, each country will be able to take actions when water is not properly utilized.
The water footprint by country is divided into three components: the green, blue and grey water footprint. The green footprint represents the water used in horticultural, agricultural and forestry products. Water in this footprint is transported from natural processes such as precipitation and evaporation or is transpired by plants.
On the other hand, most industries and domestic processes use the blue water footprint which is harvested from underground water then takes a more complicated process and is returned to the original source after a period of time. Irrigated agriculture also utilize this water footprint.
Grey water footprint meanwhile is the one that indicates aquatic pollution. This footprint is channeled from sources dumping pollutants in freshwater areas. This is often studied to take actions in meeting the standard quality of water.
Water footprints by country are also measured in different ways such as in cubic meters, per unit of currency, per hectare of cropland, per tonne of production or in any functional measurement. Measuring water footprint can help government and organizations know if water sources are secured and formulate ways to solve water problems.
Take a look at the comparison of the international industrial water use (gal/person/day) based on the Water Footprint Network:
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
2,270
United States of America (USA)
2,200
Canada
1,687
Israel
1,687
Botswana
1,485
Brazil
1,466
Russian Federation
1,341
Denmark
1,183
Australia
1,156
Germany
1,032
Dominican Republic
1,014
Global
1,002
Colombia
995
Egypt
971
United Kingdom
910
Republic of South Africa
908
China
775
Bangladesh
557
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