Water Footprint of Cities: A Review and Prospects for Future Research
Open Access
- Author:
- Paterson, Willa B
- Graduate Program:
- Civil Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- April 09, 2015
- Committee Members:
- Alfonso Ignacio Mejia, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Peggy Ann Johnson, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Xiaofeng Liu, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Benjamin Ruddell, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- Water Footprint
Virtual Water
Urban Metabolism
Cities
Life Cycle Assessment
Environmentally Extended Input-Output - Abstract:
- Cities are hotspots of commodity consumption, with implications for non-local water resources. Water flows virtually into cities through this commodity exchange, meaning that local water issues have a global context. This form of water ‘teleconnection’ is being increasingly recognized as an important aspect of water decision making at the national scale. In cities and urban areas, virtual water flows are rarely acknowledged. The emphasis is on the hydrologic and engineered water balances. Through an extensive literature review of water footprint studies the potential and importance of evaluating water footprints and taking virtual flows into account in cities is evaluated. Specifically, the Water Footprint Assessment, life cycle assessment, and environmentally extended input-output methodologies are examined. As water is just one flux entering and leaving the urban boundary, the urban metabolism framework is investigated as a complimentary framework for analysis. Further, impacts of our trade decisions are discussed in terms of water scarcity and degradation and studies are reviewed for how they evaluate these impacts. Key themes and priorities for future research are also identified and discussed for urban water footprint analysis.