Water Footprinting in the Urban Water Sector

Available as eBook only.

The term Water Footprinting can be used to describe an emerging set of tools that can be applied to obtain information about the consumption and degradation of fresh water over a defined period of time. The impact that the consumption and degradation of fresh water resources has on the environment and society can be assessed using a number of tools.

Water Footprinting tools have predominantly been applied within the agricultural and industrial sectors. The approaches are being increasingly utilised, in particular by corporations in the food and beverage industries. Limited applications involving the urban water system are evident to date.  

Water Footprinting in the Urban Water Sector provides:

an overview of the Urban Water Sector through a summary of the trends and challenges facing the sector and some information concerning the variations in the sector across the globe. 
a summary of the urban water system by defining the possible scope, boundaries, flows and impacts.
an overview of a number of common approaches and their development with summaries of example applications
a research strategy that contains a map of knowledge, a summary of key issues, challenges and knowledge gaps, suggested research priorities and some suggested actions

Trends and Challenges, The Global Water Research Coalition, Purpose & Development of this Document, Urban Water Sector, Definition, Global Context, Objectives, Roles & Responsibilities, Stakeholders Needs, Urban Water System, Overview, Scope, Boundaries, Flows, Impacts, Compensation;  Summary; Indicators; OECD Environmental Indicators, GRI Indicators, Ecosystem Service Indicators, Water Stress & Water Scarcity Indicators;  Indices, Infrastructure Leakage Index, Water Poverty Index, Water Scarcity Index, Palmer Drought Severity Index, Environmental Sustainability and Performance Index, Water Stress Index, Water Impact Index;  Tools, Life Cycle Assessment, Ecological Footprint, Virtual Water, Carbon Footprint , Water Accounting, Water Footprint, GEMI Water Sustainability Planner and Tool, WBCSD Global Water Tool, Water Supply Footprint, Water Stewardship; Sustain; Pathways ; Framework, Water Footprinting Overview, Water Footprinting in the Urban Water Sector, Purpose & Development of this Document, Framework Purpose, Context , Process, Expected Outcomes; Areas for Further Development; Research Strategy, Research Needs , Water Footprinting Overview, Water Footprinting in the Urban Water Sector, Purpose & Development of this Document; Map of Knowledge; Key Issues, Challenges & Knowledge Gaps, Terminology Use, Method Development, Data Availability and Reliability, Value of Application, Practical Applications, Communication ; Priority Research Topics, Water Quality, Water Transfers, Water End Points, Data Assumptions, Timescales; Suggested Actions