Practical application: Guadiana river basin water footprint (Spain)

M. Ramón LlamasM. Ramón Llamasmrllamas@geo.ucm.esmrllamas@geo.ucm.es

Complutense University of MadridComplutense University of Madrid

Water Footprint and Virtual Water Trade Side eventWater Observatory - M. Botin Foundation

5th World Water Forum, Istanbul, 18 March 2009

Side publication of the WWDR-3Joint venture of M. Botin Foundation and NeWater

Maite M. AldayaMaite M. Aldayam.m.aldaya@ctw.utwente.nlm.m.aldaya@ctw.utwente.nl

University of TwenteUniversity of Twente

Water footprint with distinction of green and blue water (surface and groundwater) and related economic analysis for the Guadiana basin

Guadiana WF

Source: CHG (2008)

• First time applied in a river basin in this way

• A recent Spanish regulation requires the WF analysis for the preparation of the EU river basin management plans that MS have to send to the EU in 2009, and then every 6 years.

Agricultural use of water resources in the Guadiana (Mm3/year) (2001)

0 50 100 150 20025 Km

PROVINCES

LOWER GUADIANA

FORMER LOWER GUADIANA II OR TOP DOMAIN

UPPER GUADIANA

MIDDLE GUADIANA

GREEN WATER

BLUE SURFACE WATER

BLUE GROUNDWATER

Source: Aldaya and Llamas (2009)

BADAJOZ

CÁCERES

CUENCATOLEDO

SEVILLA

ALBACETE

CÓRDOBAHUELVA

CIUDAD REAL UPPER GUADIANA

MIDDLE GUADIANA

LOWER GUADIANA

1286

93

835

905745

142

7443

34

21103

TOP DOMAIN

Guadiana WF: Water consumption

Grain cereals37%

Grain legumes3%

Industrial crops2%Fodder

6%

Fallow land19%

Olive tree25%

Vineyard8%

Temperate climate fruit

trees

Grain cereals46%

Industrial crops7%

Vegetables10%

4%

Olive tree23%

Vineyard6%

Grain cereals34%

Industrial crops15%

Fallow land27%

Dry fruit trees

3%

Olive tree14%

Vineyard5%Grain cereals

6%

Industrial crops13%

Vegetables22%Citrus

38%

Temperate climate fruit

trees 9%

Olive tree5%

Greenhouses2%

Guadiana WF: Crop area

Irrigated agriculture

UPPER GUADIANA

Rainfed agriculture

MIDDLE GUADIANA

LOWER GUADIANA

Grain cereals36%

Grain legumes5%

Industrial crops5%2%

Fodder Fallow land

26%

Olive tree10%

Vineyard15%

5%

Grain cereals34%

Grain legumes4%

Industrial crops4%Fodder

3%Vegetables

Olive tree5%

Vineyard46%

Irrigated agriculture Rainfed agriculture

Grain cereals26%

Fodder3%

Fallow land38%

Dry fruit trees 12%

Olive tree19%

Grain cereals6%

4%Fodder

7%

Vegetables11%

Citrus47%

10%

Olive tree7%

Vineyard7% Industrial crops

Temperate climate fruit

trees

TOP

25%Temperate climate fruit

trees

Grain cereals46%

Industrial crops7%

Vegetables10%

4%

Olive tree23%

Vineyard6%

25%

Distribution of crops

Guadiana WF: Water consumption

GUADIANA RIVER BASIN

Human population

Green Water106m3/year

Blue Water106m3/year

Per capitam3/cap/year

GVAmillion €

Blue water economic productivity€/m3/year

1,417,810Agricultura

l2,212 1,827 2,849 1,096 0.6

Livestock 22 16 286 12.7

Urban 130 91 128 0.9

Industrial 20 14 1,557 77.9

Total 2,212 1,999 2,970 3,068 1.53Source: Aldaya and Llamas, 2009

Water footprint related to production and economic value in the Guadiana basin (2001)

*These data do not include trade.

Guadiana WF: €/m3

Blue water economic productivity (€/m3) concerning agricultural water consumption per crop

0

2

4

6

8

10

12Upper Guadiana

Middle Guadiana

TOP

Lower Guadiana

Average (2001)

Humid (1997)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Dry (2005)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Graincereals

Grainlegumes

Potatoes Industrialcrops

Vegetables Citrus Olive tree Vineyard

€/m

3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12Upper Guadiana

Middle Guadiana

TOP

Lower Guadiana

Average (2001)

Humid (1997)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Dry (2005)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Graincereals

Grainlegumes

Potatoes Industrialcrops

Vegetables Citrus Olive tree Vineyard

€/m

3€/

m3

Guadiana WF: Conclusions

CONCLUSIONS

• Agriculture main water consuming sector (95%), low €/m3

• Most of the water is used for low economic value crops. This is typical for continental agriculture in Spain.

• Economic water productivity (€/m3): 1.5 - 15 vegetables 1 - 3 vineyards 0.5 - 1 olive trees 0.1 - 0.2 cereals

• Surface and groundwater distinction. Outcomes not very different due to several factors: legal restrictions in GW use, one of the most regulated river basins in Spain.

• From “more crops and jobs per drop” towards “more cash and nature per drop”

Thank you