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SPAINS WATER FOOTPRINT

NUMBERS
It is important to establish whether the water used in the production of a
given crop proceeds from rainwater stored in the soil as soil moisture
evaporated during the production process (green water) or from surface
water and/or groundwater evaporated as a result of the production of the
crop (blue water). Thus, the numbers of each color belonging to the water
footprint in Spain are seen in the picture below.

Figure 1. Spains water footprint of production

CAUSES
As the most arid country in the European Union, Spain faces serious challenges in water

The Spanish economy has gradually decoupled from

water consumption, using less water per euro of output.
resources management.

At national or regional level, a nation can preserve its domestic water

resources by importing products instead of producing them domestically.
This is particularly relevant to arid or semi-arid countries with scarce water
resources such as the case of Spain. Spain imports water-intensive loweconomic value crops (mainly wheat, maize and soybeans) while it exports
water-extensive high-economic value commodities adapted to the
Mediterranean climate, essentially olive oil, fruits and vegetables. That is
why Spain has one of the largest water footprints in the world, amounting
to about 2000 m/capita/year (USA: 2,480 m3/capita/year, India: 980
m3/capita/year, China: 700 m3/capita/year), the water that other countries
waste to produce the low value crops it is sum to Spains water footprint
suffering a high increase this one.

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Figure 2. Internal distribution of Spains footprint

As it shows the image above, the water footprint in urban and industrial
sectors is negligible compare to the total water footprint. That is why the
causes of the distribution in Spains water footprint are mainly focus on the
agriculture sectors.
Spain is a net virtual water importer concerning agricultural products, but a
net virtual water exporter when considering livestock products. Spain
exports high economic value and low virtual water content crops, such as
citrus fruits, vegetables or olive oil, while it imports water-intensive loweconomic value crops, such as cereals. Spanish cereal imports represent
about 70% of all water agricultural imports. This not only has a huge
potential for relieving local hydrologic and political stress in Spain but it is
also very relevant for the national economy and water balance.
At the present time, Spain changes in crop production are giving blue water
consumption an increasing importance, especially in the fastest growing
sectors like vineyards and olive trees. On the contrary, in the animal sector
the water footprint is turning greener, as the imports of feedstuff have
increased significantly, to attend the increase in production and exports.
To conclude, the relation between the economy and water resources has
potentially damaging effects at local and basin levels. Agricultural
production has evolved differently between the crop types, and accordingly
between regions. Not every region is capable of competitively producing the
most valuable crops, and thus, as international overview of the extended
water footprint in Spain trade increases and competition arises, the biggest
producing regions will increase their production.

REFERENCES
A. Garrido. "The Water Footprint and Virtual Water Trade in Spain".
Universidad politcnica de Madrid. 2010.
http://temp.waterfootprint.org/

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D. Chico. "Overview of the extended water footprint in Spain: The

importance of agricultural water consumption in the Spanish economy.".
University of Madrid, Spain (2011).