Coping with water scarcity

Water accounting: getting the water budget right

The conceptual framework

• What is scarcity? • How to conceptualize water scarcity?• How to quantify water scarcity?• What response options are available ?• How to establish priorities?

Defining water scarcity

“an excess of water demand over available supply”

Scrutinizing water balance

Measuring water scarcity

Water accounting – mapping supply and demand:• Volumes and Flows• Quality• Water use:

• consumptive, non consumptive; • formal, informal

• Efficiencies and return flow• Non beneficial ‘losses’

Water accounting

• Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEAW)

• Water cost curve approach• Participatory groundwater monitoring • Trade in water rights • Water accounting for firms• Water footprint Network• Remote Sensing based Water accounting

Water accounting

• Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEAW)

Water accounting

• Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEAW)- Merits:

Standardized approachConsistent with other types of Environmental-Economic Accounting

- Drawbacks:Huge amount of data requiredMethodology focusses on stocks rather than

flows

Water accounting• Water cost curve approach

Water accounting

• Water cost curve approach- Methodological drawbacks:

Measures are inter dependentCosts and benefits cannot be summedDownstream impacts are not taken into

account- Merits:

Planning toolNegotiation tool

Water accounting

• Participatory groundwater monitoring- FAO project in Andra-Pradesh - 4500 farmers in 630 communitees- Measure daily rainfall and fortnightly groundwater levels- Groundwater committees recommend water management practices

Water accounting

• Trade in water rights (Australia)- General Purpose Water Accounting Reports

prepared by Water Managersfor Water Users, Water Traders,

Environmental Organizations , Policy Makers- Needs detailed information on volumes of water used- Needs clear legislation and law enforcement

Water accounting

• Water accounting for firms- Reduce reputational risk- Life Cycle Assessment- Global water tool (WBCSD) Global sustainability tool (GEMI)- Methodological challenges:

traceability;consumptive vs non- consumptive use;renewable vs non renewable water

resources

Water accounting

• Water footprint Network- Water use per product - Useful to show impact of consumption patterns - Methodological challenges:

traceability;consumptive vs non- consumptive use;rainfed vs irrigated agriculture (green vs

blue)

Water accounting

• Remote Sensing based Water accounting- Measures water consumption- Area based- Suitable for agriculture (irrigated, rainfed) and natural land use- Not suitable for Industry and Municipalities- Does not take into account withdrawals and return flow

From water accounting to water auditing

Water auditing methodology overview

Component 1:

Land and water resources database

Component 2:

Water resources availability assessment

Component 3:

Water resources use assessment

Component 5:

Decision support tool

Component 4:

Water resources policy review

Component 6:

Water Audit concluding comprehensive and

summary reports

Rapid water accounting methodology overview

Component 1:

Land and water resources database

Component 2:

Water resources availability assessment

Component 3:

Water resources use assessment

Component 4:

Analysis

Component 1: Land and water resources database

Statistical databases

• AQUASTAT• FAOSTAT

Spatial databases

• Climate• Soils• River basins• Irrigation• Population• Cattle density

Component 2: Component 3:

Component 4: Analyses