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Daniel Thylmann - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Water Scarcity footprint of primary aluminium
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2016Co-Authors: Kurt Buxmann, Annette Koehler, Daniel ThylmannAbstract:Purpose The cradle-to-gate Water Scarcity footprint (WSFP) of primary aluminium has been determined for global aluminium including China (GLO) and global aluminium excluding China (RoW). It consists of the following: the direct WSFP, based on the freshWater consumption data collected by the IAI from global bauxite mines, alumina refiners and aluminium smelters and the local Water Scarcity index (WSI) of each plant, and the indirect WSFP which has been calculated using data collected by thinkstep on the freshWater consumption of the different ancillary materials, of the fuel and of the electricity needed for the production of alumina and aluminium and the relevant Water Scarcity indexes. Methods The calculation of the direct WSFP follows the requirement of ISO 14046 to aggregate data of sites at locations with different Water Scarcity after multiplication with the local Water Scarcity index. For the indirect WSFP, regional averages of the Water consumption and Water Scarcity index were used for an initial screening study to determine fields for further investigation. Results of this study demonstrate that data on evaporation of Water from reservoirs of hydropower plants has an extremely high contribution to the indirect WSFP of primary aluminium (79 % of the GLO value and 92 % of the RoW value). Therefore, a plant-by-plant approach was applied for hydropower which considers the net freshWater consumption of the hydropower reservoirs and uses the local Water Scarcity index of each power station, individually, for the calculation of the generic WSFP of the country or region. A special treatment has been given to some multipurpose reservoirs which typically have a beneficial effect on Water Scarcity, i.e. they have a negative WSFP if seasonal Water Scarcity indices are used. Results and discussion With this approach, the WSFP of primary aluminium has been calculated as follows: 18.2 m^3 H_2Oe./tonne for global primary aluminium (GLO); 9.6 m^3 H_2Oe/tonne for global primary aluminium, excluding China (RoW). Conclusions In order to avoid distorted results of Water footprint studies, in depth analysis of identified hotspots in Water consumption is necessary, in this case the plant-by plant approach, in accordance with ISO 14046. Data providers are encouraged to facilitate such analysis by improving the accessibility of such detailed data.
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Water Scarcity footprint of primary aluminium
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2016Co-Authors: Kurt Buxmann, Annette Koehler, Daniel ThylmannAbstract:Purpose The cradle-to-gate Water Scarcity footprint (WSFP) of primary aluminium has been determined for global aluminium including China (GLO) and global aluminium excluding China (RoW). It consists of the following: the direct WSFP, based on the freshWater consumption data collected by the IAI from global bauxite mines, alumina refiners and aluminium smelters and the local Water Scarcity index (WSI) of each plant, and the indirect WSFP which has been calculated using data collected by thinkstep on the freshWater consumption of the different ancillary materials, of the fuel and of the electricity needed for the production of alumina and aluminium and the relevant Water Scarcity indexes.
Yoshihide Wada - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Global Water Scarcity including surface Water quality and expansions of clean Water technologies
Environmental Research Letters, 2021Co-Authors: Michelle T.h. Van Vliet, Yoshihide Wada, Martina Flörke, Naota Hanasaki, Edward R. Jones, Wietse Franssen, J. R. YearsleyAbstract:Water Scarcity threatens people in various regions, and has predominantly been studied from a Water quantity perspective only. Here we show that global Water Scarcity is driven by both Water quantity and Water quality issues, and quantify expansions in clean Water technologies (i.e. desalination and treated wasteWater reuse) to ‘reduce the number of people suffering from Water Scarcity’ as urgently required by UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6. Including Water quality (i.e. Water temperature, salinity, organic pollution and nutrients) contributes to an increase in percentage of world’s population currently suffering from severe Water Scarcity from an annual average of 30% (22%–35% monthly range; Water quantity only) to 40% (31%–46%; both Water quantity and quality). Water quality impacts are in particular high in severe Water Scarcity regions, such as in eastern China and India. In these regions, excessive sectoral Water withdrawals do not only contribute to Water Scarcity from a Water quantity perspective, but polluted return flows degrade Water quality, exacerbating Water Scarcity. We show that expanding desalination (from 2.9 to 13.6 billion m3 month−1) and treated wasteWater uses (from 1.6 to 4.0 billion m3 month−1) can strongly reduce Water Scarcity levels and the number of people affected, especially in Asia, although the side effects (e.g. brine, energy demand, economic costs) must be considered. The presented results have potential for follow-up integrated analyses accounting for technical and economic constraints of expanding desalination and treated wasteWater reuse across the world.
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A nexus modeling framework for assessing Water Scarcity solutions
Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2019Co-Authors: T. Kahil, José Albiac, G. Fischer, Maryna Strokal, Sylvia Tramberend, Peter Greve, Ting Tang, Peter Burek, R. Burtscher, Yoshihide WadaAbstract:Water Scarcity has become a crucial environmental issue worldwide. It has increased substantially in the last decades in many parts of the world, and it is expected to further exacerbate in the future driven by socio-economic and climatic changes. Several solution options could be implemented to address this growing Water Scarcity, including supply and demand-side management options that span the Water, energy, and agricultural sectors. However, these options involve tradeoffs among various societal objectives, especially when the interactions between these objectives are not properly considered. This paper provides a review of the impending Water Scarcity challenges and suggests assessing Water Scarcity solution options using a nexus modeling framework that links well-established sectoral-oriented models.
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Water Scarcity hotspots travel downstream due to human interventions in the 20th and 21st century
Nature communications, 2017Co-Authors: Ted Veldkamp, Yoshihide Wada, Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts, Junguo Liu, Simon N. Gosling, Petra Döll, Yoshimitsu Masaki, Taikan Oki, Sebastian Ostberg, Yadu PokhrelAbstract:Water Scarcity is rapidly increasing in many regions. In a novel, multi-model assessment, we examine how human interventions (HI: land use and land cover change, man-made reservoirs and human Water use) affected monthly river Water availability and Water Scarcity over the period 1971–2010. Here we show that HI drastically change the critical dimensions of Water Scarcity, aggravating Water Scarcity for 8.8% (7.4–16.5%) of the global population but alleviating it for another 8.3% (6.4–15.8%). Positive impacts of HI mostly occur upstream, whereas HI aggravate Water Scarcity downstream; HI cause Water Scarcity to travel downstream. Attribution of Water Scarcity changes to HI components is complex and varies among the hydrological models. Seasonal variation in impacts and dominant HI components is also substantial. A thorough consideration of the spatially and temporally varying interactions among HI components and of uncertainties is therefore crucial for the success of Water Scarcity adaptation by HI.
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Water Scarcity assessments in the past, present, and future
Earth's future, 2017Co-Authors: Junguo Liu, Yoshihide Wada, Hong Yang, Simon N. Gosling, Matti Kummu, Martina Flörke, Stephan Pfister, Naota Hanasaki, Xinxin Zhang, Chunmiao ZhengAbstract:Water Scarcity has become a major constraint to socio-economic development and a threat to livelihood in increasing parts of the world. Since the late 1980s, Water Scarcity research has attracted much political and public attention. We here review a variety of indicators that have been developed to capture different characteristics of Water Scarcity. Population, Water availability and Water use are the key elements of these indicators. Most of the progress made in the last few decades has been on the quantification of Water availability and use by applying spatially explicit models. However, challenges remain on appropriate incorporation of green Water (soil moisture), Water quality, environmental flow requirements, globalization and virtual Water trade in Water Scarcity assessment. Meanwhile, inter- and intra- annual variability of Water availability and use also calls for assessing the temporal dimension of Water Scarcity. It requires concerted efforts of hydrologists, economists, social scientists, and environmental scientists to develop integrated approaches to capture the multi-faceted nature of Water Scarcity.
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Using Probabilistic Methods in Water Scarcity Assessments: A First Step Towards a Water Scarcity Risk Assessment Framework
2016Co-Authors: Ted Veldkamp, Yoshihide Wada, Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts, Philip J. WardAbstract:Water Scarcity -driven by climate change, climate variability, and socioeconomic developments- is recognized as one of the most important global risks, both in terms of likelihood and impact. Whilst a wide range of studies have assessed the role of long term climate change and socioeconomic trends on global Water Scarcity, the impact of variability is less well understood. Moreover, the interactions between different forcing mechanisms, and their combined effect on changes in Water Scarcity conditions, are often neglected. Therefore, we provide a first step towards a framework for global Water Scarcity risk assessments, applying probabilistic methods to estimate Water Scarcity risks for different return periods under current and future conditions while using multiple climate and socioeconomic scenarios.
Sirpa Kurppa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Applying Water Scarcity footprint methodologies to milk production in Finland
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2019Co-Authors: Kirsi Usva, Eetu Virtanen, Helena Hyvärinen, Jouni Nousiainen, Taija Sinkko, Sirpa KurppaAbstract:Purpose Food production without consuming scarce local freshWater resources in an unsustainable way needs to be ensured. A robust method to assess Water Scarcity impacts is needed, not only for areas suffering from Water Scarcity but also in circumstances without Water Scarcity. This study provides basic knowledge about the current Water Scarcity footprint methodologies applied to rain-fed agriculture, with Finnish milk production as a case study. Methods A typical Finnish “cradle-to-dairy” milk production system was studied. An improved allocation method is suggested taking into account that a lactating cow consumes more drinking Water due to milk production. Impact assessment methodologies, including midpoint impact indicators of Water deprivation and Water Scarcity, and the endpoint impact indicators on human health, ecosystems and resources, were applied and evaluated. Results and discussion Finnish milk is associated with quite low consumptive Water use, amounting to just 6.3 l per litre of packaged skimmed milk according to the suggested allocation method. The stress-weighted Water footprint was 4.3 H_2O_eq, and the Water Scarcity impact came to 12.2 l_eq per litre of Finnish milk. The comparisons between this study and case studies in the literature showed that the Water Scarcity impact results calculated with the AWARE method are well reasoned, and that mass flows from regions with high Water Scarcity cause higher Water Scarcity impact. Conclusions We conclude that the Water Scarcity footprint of Finnish milk in all the studied impact categories is relatively low. The AWARE method for Water Scarcity footprint assessment seems to be particularly applicable for Finland and is able to identify the critical hotspots of production chains.
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Applying Water Scarcity footprint methodologies to milk production in Finland
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2018Co-Authors: Kirsi Usva, Eetu Virtanen, Helena Hyvärinen, Jouni Nousiainen, Taija Sinkko, Sirpa KurppaAbstract:Food production without consuming scarce local freshWater resources in an unsustainable way needs to be ensured. A robust method to assess Water Scarcity impacts is needed, not only for areas suffering from Water Scarcity but also in circumstances without Water Scarcity. This study provides basic knowledge about the current Water Scarcity footprint methodologies applied to rain-fed agriculture, with Finnish milk production as a case study. A typical Finnish “cradle-to-dairy” milk production system was studied. An improved allocation method is suggested taking into account that a lactating cow consumes more drinking Water due to milk production. Impact assessment methodologies, including midpoint impact indicators of Water deprivation and Water Scarcity, and the endpoint impact indicators on human health, ecosystems and resources, were applied and evaluated. Finnish milk is associated with quite low consumptive Water use, amounting to just 6.3 l per litre of packaged skimmed milk according to the suggested allocation method. The stress-weighted Water footprint was 4.3 H2Oeq, and the Water Scarcity impact came to 12.2 leq per litre of Finnish milk. The comparisons between this study and case studies in the literature showed that the Water Scarcity impact results calculated with the AWARE method are well reasoned, and that mass flows from regions with high Water Scarcity cause higher Water Scarcity impact. We conclude that the Water Scarcity footprint of Finnish milk in all the studied impact categories is relatively low. The AWARE method for Water Scarcity footprint assessment seems to be particularly applicable for Finland and is able to identify the critical hotspots of production chains.
Jian-ping Zou - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Virtual Water Scarcity risk in China
Resources Conservation and Recycling, 2020Co-Authors: Haoran Zhao, Yu Liu, Sen Guo, Huiru Zhao, Anthony C.f. Chiu, Sai Liang, Jian-ping ZouAbstract:Abstract China's rapid economic growth has exerted great pressures on Water resources. Since local Water Scarcity risk (LWSR, representing potential production losses in Water-dependent sectors due to Water Scarcity) can be transmitted to downstream sectors via the economic trade system, this study measures the influences of LWSR on inter-provincial trade system using China's multi-regional input–output (MRIO) data including 31 provinces with 42 sectors in 2012. Top province-sectors in virtual Water Scarcity risk exports (VWSR exports, indicating the LWSR of one province being transmitted to other provinces via exports) and virtual Water Scarcity risk imports (VWSR imports, implying the vulnerability of the provinces to Water Scarcity risk in other provinces via imports) are identified. Top VWSR exporters, such as Chemical Industry in Shanghai and Anhui, Agriculture in Hebei and Heilongjiang, and Textile in Jiangsu, are important to the resilience of the national economic system to Water Scarcity due to the high levels of Water stress in these provinces. Top VWSR importers, such as Chemical Industry in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Shandong, Communication Equipment, Computers, and Other Electronic Devices in Jiangsu and Guangdong, and Food processing and tobaccos in Shandong, are particularly vulnerable to Water Scarcity in other provinces. The results show that it is necessary for provinces to cooperatively manage Water resources in upstream sectors and provide references for decision-makers in highly vulnerable province-sectors to formulate strategies to mitigate virtual Water Scarcity risks.
Kurt Buxmann - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Water Scarcity footprint of primary aluminium
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2016Co-Authors: Kurt Buxmann, Annette Koehler, Daniel ThylmannAbstract:Purpose The cradle-to-gate Water Scarcity footprint (WSFP) of primary aluminium has been determined for global aluminium including China (GLO) and global aluminium excluding China (RoW). It consists of the following: the direct WSFP, based on the freshWater consumption data collected by the IAI from global bauxite mines, alumina refiners and aluminium smelters and the local Water Scarcity index (WSI) of each plant, and the indirect WSFP which has been calculated using data collected by thinkstep on the freshWater consumption of the different ancillary materials, of the fuel and of the electricity needed for the production of alumina and aluminium and the relevant Water Scarcity indexes. Methods The calculation of the direct WSFP follows the requirement of ISO 14046 to aggregate data of sites at locations with different Water Scarcity after multiplication with the local Water Scarcity index. For the indirect WSFP, regional averages of the Water consumption and Water Scarcity index were used for an initial screening study to determine fields for further investigation. Results of this study demonstrate that data on evaporation of Water from reservoirs of hydropower plants has an extremely high contribution to the indirect WSFP of primary aluminium (79 % of the GLO value and 92 % of the RoW value). Therefore, a plant-by-plant approach was applied for hydropower which considers the net freshWater consumption of the hydropower reservoirs and uses the local Water Scarcity index of each power station, individually, for the calculation of the generic WSFP of the country or region. A special treatment has been given to some multipurpose reservoirs which typically have a beneficial effect on Water Scarcity, i.e. they have a negative WSFP if seasonal Water Scarcity indices are used. Results and discussion With this approach, the WSFP of primary aluminium has been calculated as follows: 18.2 m^3 H_2Oe./tonne for global primary aluminium (GLO); 9.6 m^3 H_2Oe/tonne for global primary aluminium, excluding China (RoW). Conclusions In order to avoid distorted results of Water footprint studies, in depth analysis of identified hotspots in Water consumption is necessary, in this case the plant-by plant approach, in accordance with ISO 14046. Data providers are encouraged to facilitate such analysis by improving the accessibility of such detailed data.
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Water Scarcity footprint of primary aluminium
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2016Co-Authors: Kurt Buxmann, Annette Koehler, Daniel ThylmannAbstract:Purpose The cradle-to-gate Water Scarcity footprint (WSFP) of primary aluminium has been determined for global aluminium including China (GLO) and global aluminium excluding China (RoW). It consists of the following: the direct WSFP, based on the freshWater consumption data collected by the IAI from global bauxite mines, alumina refiners and aluminium smelters and the local Water Scarcity index (WSI) of each plant, and the indirect WSFP which has been calculated using data collected by thinkstep on the freshWater consumption of the different ancillary materials, of the fuel and of the electricity needed for the production of alumina and aluminium and the relevant Water Scarcity indexes.
