What is Water Footprint and Why is it Important?

With increasing per capita water consumption, population growth, and industrial activities, the use of water and water pollution are increasing, putting freshwater resources under increasing pressure. In the past, the management of these resources was often addressed at local, national, or river basin scales. However, as the exposure of freshwater resources to global changes and globalization was recognized, many researchers began to discuss these issues at a global level. In this context, the concept of the Water Footprint was developed to support water management. Developed by the University of Twente and the Water Footprint Network (WFN), this concept encompasses the process from raw material processing to reaching the consumer, measuring the amount of freshwater required for the production of a service along the supply chain. The water footprint is divided into three categories based on the uses of water: Blue Water Footprint, Green Water Footprint, and Grey Water Footprint.

Blue Water Footprint: Represents the total volume of treated surface and groundwater. The amount of water used in processes such as agricultural irrigation or industrial activities is calculated as the blue water footprint. A high blue water footprint generally means that more surface and groundwater is used, which can lead to increased water stress problems. Therefore, the correct management of the blue water footprint is of great importance for preventing water crises and using water resources effectively.

Green Water Footprint: Refers to the amount of water used through soil-stored rainwater and plant transpiration. The green water footprint of agricultural products is expected to be relatively higher compared to the blue water footprint, as agricultural products are usually irrigated with rainwater and thus more dependent on green water sources. Calculating the green water footprint is important for developing sustainable agricultural practices and effectively managing water resources.

Grey Water Footprint: Indicates the amount of water used to clean pollutants that emerge during the production and processing stages of a product. The grey water footprint is particularly low in regions with limited industrial capacity.

The total water footprint is the sum of the blue, green, and grey components. Calculating the blue and green water footprints is important to reflect the total water use and impact of a region or a product. Especially in an era where the effects of global climate change are felt, estimating, modeling, and managing water capacities and consumption accurately is of great importance. Considering the limited freshwater potential on Earth, the importance given to the quantity and quality of water is increasing. Therefore, tools like the water footprint, which not only measure the volume of water but also the type of water used (green, blue, grey), when and where it is used, play a significant role in effectively managing water and ensuring a sustainable life for future generations.

Regarding Water Footprint Calculations

Water footprint calculations can be performed in different sectors and areas. For example, the water footprint of a process can be calculated, as well as in a geographically defined area. Some areas where water footprint calculations can be conducted are listed below;

Process Water Footprint Assessment: This assessment aims to determine the water use of a business or industry's activities. It examines factors such as how much water is consumed at what stages of production, the source of the water, and its quality. It helps businesses understand their water use and increase efficiency. Additionally, it enables the development of strategies for sustainable water use and resource conservation.

Product Water Footprint Assessment: This assessment aims to determine the amount of water used throughout the lifecycle of a product. It examines water consumption and water quality at every stage from the extraction of raw materials to delivery to the consumer. This assessment helps companies identify potential areas for making their products more sustainable.

Consumer or Community Water Footprint Assessment: This assessment aims to determine the water consumption of consumers or a specific community. It examines water use at home, work, or within the community. This assessment can help raise awareness and change consumption habits to promote efficient use of water.

Geographical Water Footprint Assessment: This assessment aims to determine the water use and its impacts in a specific geographical area. This can include a basin, river basin, municipality, or province. For example, analyzing the distribution of water use in a river basin among agriculture, industry, and domestic use can assess the sustainability of water resources. This can lead to insights into the management and conservation of water resources.

National Water Footprint Assessment: Analyzes the water use and its impacts at the national level. This assessment can cover issues such as a country's water scarcity, water resource management, national consumption habits, and water trade. For example, it can examine the effects of a country's water imports and exports on national water security and contribute to the development of more sustainable water use policies.

These different types of assessments play an important role in developing strategies for the sustainability and effective use of water resources. Each offers customized solutions for a specific sector, geographical area, or community. However, water footprint calculations vary depending on the area to be calculated. Various water footprint calculation methods are used for each area. These methods provide customized techniques to measure the use and impacts of water at different stages of its lifecycle. Some of these methods are listed below.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Life cycle assessment covers all processes from the extraction of raw materials to the end of the product's life. This method is often used to determine the water footprint of products like building materials used in the construction industry. For example, the LCA method has been used in a study to determine the water footprint of a gold mine.

SWAT Model and Water Footprint Accounting: The SWAT model is a river basin-scale model developed to measure the impact of land management practices in large and complex water basins. This method is used for water footprint calculations for the production of plant products where basin-based irrigation is used.

Spatial Interpolation for Water Footprint Assessment: This method uses sampling values from different regions of a studied area to estimate the value at any unsampled point. It is frequently used in the agriculture sector for water footprint assessment.

Ecological Footprint: The ecological footprint is the biological area necessary for a population to live sustainably. This method is often chosen for water footprint calculations in sectors such as the food industry, fisheries, and livestock.

Water Footprint Assessment Guide and Life Cycle Assessment: This guide is a method in which the volumetric measurement of water consumption and pollution is assessed using formulations. This method can be used for water footprint assessment of various products. For example, studies have been conducted using this method for water footprint assessment of products like chrome-nickel-free steel, Portland cement, and soda lime glass.

Virtual Water in Water Footprint Assessment: This method suggests that a country engages in virtual water trade when it imports products that require a large amount of water for production instead of producing those water-intensive products. It is used in water footprint calculations for international trade operations such as imports and exports.

Each water footprint calculation method offers a customized approach for specific industries or sectors. These methods provide important tools for effectively managing water and its sustainable use.

What Can Be Done to Reduce Water Footprint?

Institutions and individuals adopt different strategies and approaches to reduce their water footprint. While institutions usually focus on more comprehensive and organized solutions due to their larger-scale and complex water use systems, individuals try to reduce water consumption by changing their daily habits and taking small-scale actions.

Institutional Measures to Reduce Water Footprint:

Implement Efficiency Improvements: More efficient use of water in the industry is critical for conserving water resources and reducing the water footprint. Various methods and technologies have been developed to achieve these goals:

• Grey water recycling: Refers to the treatment and reuse of grey water obtained from sources such as sinks, showers, and washing machines for purposes such as irrigation or toilet flushing.
• Rainwater harvesting: Collecting and storing rainwater from roofs and other surfaces for various purposes such as irrigation.
• Smart monitoring technologies: Used to ensure the integrity of water distribution networks. Devices such as pressure and acoustic sensors quickly detect leaks, minimizing water losses. The widespread adoption of these technologies is significant, as it is estimated that 45 million cubic meters of water are lost daily in distribution networks in developing countries.
• Ensure Clean Production: Refers to the design and implementation of business production processes in a way that is more efficient, produces less waste, and promotes water conservation. This approach plays an important role in businesses' efforts to conserve water resources and reduce their water footprint. Practices such as wastewater treatment and cleaning of pollutants are fundamental to clean production processes. Businesses that reorganize their processes according to clean production reduce environmental impacts while also achieving economic benefits.
• Manage the Supply Chain: The supply chain encompasses all stages a product or service goes through from production to reaching the consumer. Efficient management of water in this process provides significant environmental and economic advantages. Companies that efficiently use water resources through effective supply chain management can more easily achieve sustainability goals.
• Provide Education and Awareness: Businesses can raise awareness among their employees about the value of water resources, adopting water conservation strategies, and understanding the role of water in business processes through training. These trainings promote the efficient use of water, which is necessary for conserving water resources. Additionally, understanding the impact of business activities on water resources helps make more sustainable business decisions. Businesses can also raise awareness among their suppliers, business partners, and customers about the sustainable use and conservation of water resources.

Individual Measures to Reduce Water Footprint:

Ensure Water Conservation: An important way for individuals to reduce their water footprint is to conserve water in daily life. Consciously using water during daily activities such as brushing teeth, showering, and using faucets contributes to reducing water consumption. The following steps can be taken to use water more effectively in daily life:

• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth, which can save about 6 liters of water per minute.
• Reduce shower time, as a five-minute shower uses an average of 60 liters of water.
• Check and repair leaks, as a small leak can lead to a loss of up to 10,000 liters of water per year.
• Use appliances like washing machines and dishwashers at full capacity to reduce water consumption, saving an average of 40-150 liters per use, depending on the type of device.
• Use Low-Water-Consumption Devices: Low-water-consuming devices are an effective way to reduce water use at home or work. Smart technology and water-efficient equipment help conserve water and assist in reducing the individual water footprint.
• Use low water consumption taps and shower heads, which can save an average of 20% - 30% of water per year.
• Select energy and water-efficient household appliances and fixtures, as these devices can save hundreds of liters of water due to their high efficiency.

Provide Information and Awareness: Being aware of the water footprint and questioning water consumption are important steps in reducing the water footprint.

• Knowing the water footprint of our daily habits can help us make more conscious decisions.
• Making informed shopping decisions by considering the water footprints of products, choosing water-sensitive products as consumers, contributes to the conservation of water resources.
• Understanding that water resources are limited and the importance of their proper use increases awareness of water consumption and encourages decisions that promote water conservation.

There are different but complementary approaches to reducing the water footprint among institutions and individuals. The contributions of both sides are of great importance for the conservation of water resources and the sustainability of clean water supply to future generations.

Water Footprint and Turkey

Considering that Turkey is not a water-rich country, it is predicted that Turkey may face water shortages by 2030 due to its increasing population, developing industry, and rapidly growing cities. Therefore, the sustainable use and management of water resources are extremely important for Turkey. To enrich and make sense of discussions about water resources, Turkey's water footprint should be carefully examined. When assessing Turkey's water footprint, the water use of production and consumption in Turkey's imports and exports can be analyzed.

Water Footprint of Production: The water footprint of production refers to the total amount of water (green, blue, and grey) required for all products produced within a country. According to the latest study, 64% of the water footprint of production in Turkey comes from the green water footprint, while the blue water footprint accounts for 19% and the grey water footprint for 17%. Looking at the distribution of the water footprint of production by sector, agriculture holds the largest share at 89%. Domestic water use and industrial production account for 7% and 4% of the total water footprint, respectively.

Water Footprint of Consumption: The water footprint of consumption shows the total amount of water used for the production of goods and services consumed within a country. According to the latest study, 66% of the water footprint of consumption in Turkey comes from the green water footprint, while the blue water footprint and grey water footprint each account for 17%. The largest part of the water footprint of consumption, 89%, comes from the agriculture sector. Industrial and domestic water use account for 6% and 5% of the consumption water footprint, respectively.

Water Footprint of Exports and Imports: The water footprint of exports represents the total amount of water required for the production of goods and services exported by a country, while the water footprint of imports shows the total amount of water required for the production of goods and services imported by a country. Most products produced in Turkey are for local consumption, but some are exported and affect the water footprint of consumption in other countries. For example, dried apricots produced in Turkey are largely exported to European countries, thus the water footprint of dried apricots is included in the water footprint of consumption in Europe. On the other hand, some of the products consumed in Turkey have a water footprint partly resulting from imported goods. For example, the water footprint of coffee consumed in Turkey is included in the water footprint of production in Brazil.

Analysis of the Water Footprint of Turkey's Exports:

• Unprocessed agricultural products make up 6% of exports, while their water footprint constitutes 19% of the export water footprint.
• Textile products make up 20% of exports, while their water footprint constitutes 42% of the export water footprint.
• Processed agricultural products make up 4% of exports, while their water footprint constitutes 34% of the export water footprint.
• Mineral, glass, and metal products make up 33% of exports, while their water footprint constitutes 5% of the export water footprint.
• Machinery, motor vehicles, electronics, etc., make up 30% of exports, while their water footprint constitutes 5% of the export water footprint.
• Other categories make up 7% of exports. Their water footprint constitutes 5% of the export water footprint.

Analysis of the Water Footprint of Turkey's Imports:

• Unprocessed agricultural products make up 3% of imports, while their water footprint constitutes 60% of the import water footprint.
• Textile products make up 6% of imports, while their water footprint constitutes 14% of the import water footprint.
• Processed agricultural products make up 4% of imports, while their water footprint constitutes 18% of the import water footprint.
• Mineral, glass, and metal products make up 49% of imports, while their water footprint constitutes 8% of the import water footprint.
• Machinery, motor vehicles, electronics, etc., make up 35% of imports, while their water footprint constitutes 8% of the import water footprint.
• Other categories make up 3% of imports. Their water footprint constitutes 8% of the import water footprint.

The sustainable use and management of Turkey's water resources are of critical importance to prevent future water shortages and protect the long-term health of water resources. A detailed analysis of the water footprint in production and consumption processes helps us understand the distribution of water use and develop strategies to protect water resources. Additionally, the water footprint of Turkey's exports and imports helps us understand the impacts of international trade on water resources and assess the contribution of cross-border water movement to water stress. These analyses can guide the development of more sustainable water management policies and practices, thereby creating a strong foundation to meet Turkey's future water needs.

REFERENCES Başkılıç, Y. (2023). An Example Application in the Textile Industry Within the Scope of Sustainable Water Management. Bursa. Turan, E. (2017). Assessment of Turkey's Water Footprint. Turkish Journal of Hygiene and Experimental Biology. WWF. (2014). Turkey's Water Footprint Report.