teacher!textbook! comune!di!monza!aquapath-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/teacher_en.pdf ·...

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AquaPath!–!Awareness!raising!!module!for!children!

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Teacher!Textbook!

Comune!di!Monza!

This!project!has!been!funded!with!support!from!the!European!Commission.!This!publication!reflects!the!views!only!of!the!author,!and!the!Commission!cannot!be!held!responsible!for!any!use!which!may!be!made!of!the!information!contained!therein!

O1/A3:'Awareness'raising'module'for'children'!

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This!project!has!been! funded!with! support! from! the!European!Commission.!This!publication! reflects! the! views!only! of! the! author,! and! the!Commission! cannot! be!held! responsible! for! any! use! which! may! be! made! of! the! information! contained!therein.!

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Table'of'contents'!

1.! EXECUTIVE!SUMMARY!...........................................................................!3!2.! WATER!FOOTPRINT!................................................................................!4!2.1.!WHAT!the!Water!Footprint!IS?!..................................................................!4!2.2.!Water!Cycle!...............................................................................................!6!2.3.!WATER!FOOTPRINT:!green,!blue!or!grey?!..............................................!7!2.4.!Our!HIDDEN!TREASURE:!DIRECT!U!INDIRECT!WATER!FOOTPRINT!..!8!2.5.!WATER!USE!and!WATER!FOOTPRINT:!WHAT!is!the!DIFFERENCE?!..!8!2.6.!The!NATIONAL!WATER!FOOTPRINT!......................................................!9!2.7.!AQUAULAB:!Let’s!learn!about!the!WATER!FOOTPRINT!........................!10!3.! WATER!SUSTAINABILITY!......................................................................!12!3.1.!WATER!SCARCITY!................................................................................!12!3.2.!WATER!POLLUTION!..............................................................................!13!3.3.!WATER!EQUITY!.....................................................................................!14!3.4.!WATER!WASTE!and!PERSPECTIVES!..................................................!14!3.5.!AQUAULAB:!Let’s!learn!about!the!WATER!SUSTAINABILITY!................!16!4.! DIETARY!HABITS!...................................................................................!17!4.1.!DRINKS!...................................................................................................!18!4.2.!FOOD!......................................................................................................!19!4.2.1.! Which!diet!to!choose?!.......................................................................!20!4.2.2.! Not!only!food…!.................................................................................!21!4.3.!AQUAULAB:!Let’s!learn!about!DIETARY!HABITS!...................................!24!5.! TIPS!and!TRICKS!...................................................................................!25!5.1.!How!to!reduce!our!water!footprint?!.........................................................!25!5.1.1.! What!do!you!wear?!...........................................................................!26!5.1.2.! Which!transport!means?!...................................................................!26!5.2.!AQUAUFESTIVAL:!Let’s!play!about!the!“AquaUPATH!!”!..........................!28!6.! REFERENCES!........................................................................................!30!6.1.!Publications!.............................................................................................!30!6.2.!LINKS!......................................................................................................!30!6.3.!Videos!......................................................................................................!30!7.! GLOSSARY!.............................................................................................!31!


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1.' EXECUTIVE'SUMMARY'!

This!text!book!is!devoted!to!primary!school!teachers,! in!order!to!help!them!explaining!

to!children:!1)!what!the!water!footprint!ish!2)!the!sustainability!of!water!footprint,!3)!how!

dietary!habits!affect! the!water! footprint! and!4)! some!practical! hints! that! also! children!

can!put!into!practice!in!order!to!reduce!their!water!footprint.!It!is!both!user!friendly!and!

scientific! based,! offering! food! for! thoughts,! as! well! as! some! sources.! There! is! a!

glossary!and,!after!every!chapter,!practical!experiments!and!games! to!be!carried!out!

with! children! (AQUALAB)! and! with! citizens! (AQUAFESTIVAL).! It! is! based! on! the!

module!for!adults,!which!you!can!address!for!further!development.!Enjoy!reading!it!!!

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2.' WATER'FOOTPRINT'

2.1.' WHAT'the'Water'Footprint'IS?'Fresh'water!is!what!we!call!“sweet!water”.!It!is!the!natural!water!on!the!Earth's!surface!which! is!not!seawater!and! is! located! in! ice!sheets,! ice!caps,!glaciers,! icebergs,!bogs,!

ponds,! lakes,! rivers! and! streams,! and! underground! as! groundwater! in! aquifers! and!

underground!streams.!Fresh!water!generally!has!low!concentrations!of!dissolved!salts!

and! other! solids! and! it! is! needed! to!maintain! life! on! Earth! and! for! nearly! all! human!

activities.!

But!how!much!accessible!fresh!water!there!is?!Very!little!!Only!2.5%!of!all!the!water!on!

Earth!is!fresh!water!and!97.5%!is!saltwater.!

Water'accessibility:!how!much!can!we!use!of!this!fresh!water?!Very!very!little!!!!More! than!2/3!(68.7%)!of! the!available! fresh!water!are!not!usable!by!humans!as! it! is!

frozen!as!snow!and!ice,!and!more!than!1/3!is!stored!as!ground!water.!This!means!that!

only'0.3%'of'all'fresh'water'on'the'planet'is'readily'available'as'surface'water'in'lakes,' swamps,' rivers' and'streams1,' meaning' not' even'0,01%'of'the'global'world'water!!!

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This! means! that! humans!

need! to! consider! water! as! a!

finite! resource:! the! Water'footprint'(WF)'expresses!the'human' appropriation' of'fresh'water'and!helps!us!understanding!if!this'appropriation'is'higher'than'what'we'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!Source:!(Gleick,!P.!H.,!1996:!Water!resources.!(In!Encyclopedia!of!Climate!and!Weather)!

…!FRESH!WATER!100!

-!frozen!water!68.9!

-!ground!water!30.8!

=!ready!available!water!0.3!!!

TOTAL!WATER!on!EARTH!100!

-!saltwater!97.5!=!fresh!water!2.5!!


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should' use.' Human! population! keeps! growing! throughout! time! and! consequently!water! resources! will! be! more! and! more! subjected! to! pollution! and! shortage! stress.!

Therefore,! fresh! water! is! the! “blue' gold”! as! it! becomes! more! and! more! rare! and!precious.!

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Figure'1:!Global!water!Demand!according!to!population!growth''

Water!as!a!resource!for!people!is!not!always!available!at!the!right!place!and!time.!This!

is!because!water!availability!depends!on:!

•! The!amount!of!water!a!country!or!region!has!

•! The!individual!demand/consumption!of!water!

If! fresh! water! is! becoming! the! “blue! gold”,! what!

about!the!access!to!fresh!water?!Worldwide!access!

to! fresh! water! is! scattered,! primarily! in! developing! countries:!

we! need! not! to! forget! that! out! of! every! seven! people! in! the!

world,! 2! leave!with!water! scarcity!! In! developed! countries! (of!

which!European! countries! are! part)! “only”! 9!million! of! people!

are! without! access! to! water:! a! small! number! if! compared! to!

654!million!of!people!in!developing!countries.!Major!challenges!

happen!in!Africa!and!South!west!and!East!Asia.!While!water!is!

abundant!in!much!of!Europe,!large!areas!are!affected!by!water!

scarcity! and! droughts!—! particularly! in! Southern!Europe!with!

their!severe!lack!of,!and!high!demand!for,!water.2! '

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2!Source:!Data!from!the!United!Nations!on!the!Millennium!Sustainable!Development!goals!available!in!interactive!maps!at!http://www.theguardian.com/globalUdevelopmentUprofessionalsUnetwork/2015/jul/01/globalUaccessUcleanUwaterUsanitationUmapped!

DO!YOU!KNOW!THAT?!GLOBALLY!IT!IS!ESTIMATED!THAT!663!MILLION!PEOPLE!AROUND!

THE!WORLD!DOES!NOT!HAVE!ACCESS!TO!SAFE!

DRINKING!WATER!AND!2.4!BILLION!PEOPLE!LIVE!WITHOUT!ADEQUATE!SANITATION!

LEARN!MORE:!SAVE!WATER!TO!DEFEND!LIFE:!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zUiVl3JJRM!!

A!THIRSTY!WORLD:!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIJOOfOpUYs&index=7&list=PLHnzEAZ3lShlnekss0LWodXCLcskhWDHY!


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2.2.' Water'Cycle'Water!as!we!described!above!is!a!finite!resource,!so!which!are!water!origins?!

Water' on' hearth' is' always'moving' and' changing' status' on' the' soWcalled'water'cycle:!from!liquid!to!vapour,!to!ice!and!back!again.!

The!water!cycle!describes!the!continuous!movement!of!water!on,!above!and!below!the!

surface!of!the!Earth.!The!mass!of!water!on!Earth!remains!fairly!constant!over!time!but!

the!partitioning!of! the!water! into! the!major! reservoirs!of! ice,! fresh!water,!saline!water!

and!atmospheric!water!is!variable!depending!on!a!wide!range!of!climatic!variables.!The!

water!moves! from!one! reservoir! to!another,! such!as! from! river! to!ocean,!or! from! the!

ocean! to! the! atmosphere,! by! the! physical! processes! of! evaporation,! condensation,!

precipitation,!infiltration,!runoff,!and!subsurface!flow.!! !

In! doing! so,! the! water! goes! through! different! phases:! liquid,! solid! (ice),! and! gas!

(vapour).!This!process!keeps!constantly!moving!!

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Figure'2:!The!water!cycle'

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The!sun!heats!the!water!in!the!ocean!and!it!evaporates.!A!smaller!part!of!moisture!is!added!in!form!of!ice!and!snow,!sublimate!from!the!solid!state!into!vapour.!Into!the!atmosphere!the!vapour!ascends!with!water!from!evapotranspiration,!i.e.!water!transpired!from!plants!and!evaporated!from!the!soil!and!other!open!water!surfaces.!When!vapour!reaches!in!the!atmosphere!cooler!temperatures,!it!condenses!into!clouds.!

During!warm!weather!snowpacks!often!thaw!and!melt!flowing!as!snowmelt,!back!into!the!oceans!or!onto!land,!brought!by!gravity!flowing!over!the!ground!as!surface!runoff.!A!portion!of!it!enters!rivers.!Runoff!and!groundwater!seepage!accumulate!and!are!stored!as!fresh!water!in!lakes.!A!major!amount!of!fresh!water!soaks!into!the!ground!as!infiltration,!replenishing!aquifers,!some!of!it!stay!close!to!the!land!surface!seeping!back!into!surfaceUwater!bodies!as!groundwater!discharge!


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Table'1:!How!humans!impact!the!water!cycle?!

Eutrophication'It!is!the!process!by!which!an!ecosystem!responds!to!the!addition!of!natural! or! artificial! substances! to! an! aquatic! system.! EFFECTS:!excessive!growth!of!algae!in!lakes,!ponds!and!rivers’!receiving!more!nutrients!than!it!is!needed!

Hydroelectricity'

Hydro! dams! to! generate! electricity! change! the! stored! gravitational!energy! of! water! held! behind! the! dam! into! electrical! energy.!EFFECTS:!It!is!a!nonUpolluting!renewable!way!to!produce!electricity,!but!it!alters!the!flow!of!rivers!

Irrigation'

It! is!an!artificial!watering!system!of!cultivated!land!that!does!not!get!enough!water! through! rainfall.!EFFECTS:! it! removes!water! from! its!natural!source!causing!leaching!and!runUoff!where!it! is!used.!Also!it!may! lead! to! pollution! (due! to! the! use! of! fertilizers)! and! salination!(when!salt!is!brought!up!from!lower!levels)!

Deforestation'

Trees!release!vapour!when!they!transpire,!which!evaporates!into!the!atmosphere,! accumulates! and! transforms! in! precipitations.!EFFECTS:! It! has! a! major! impact! on! water! cycle! and! on! global!climate! change,! as! there! is! less! water! evaporating! into! the!atmosphere!and!subsequently!less!rain.!!

Greenhouse'effect'

It! is! a! phenomenon! of! Earth’s! atmosphere! trapping! some! gases,!which!in!turn!capture!infrared!radiation!to!keep!earth!at!a!moderate!temperature! range.! Human! activity! increasing! Earth’s! temperature!causes! an! increase! of! evaporation! melting! of! ice! that! adversely!affects!climate.!EFFECTS:!directly!on!water!cycle!

2.3.' WATER'FOOTPRINT:'green,'blue'or'grey?'There!are!three!different!types!of!water!footprints:!blue,!green!and!grey:!

A.! Green!water! footprint! is!water! from!precipitation! that! is! stored! in! the! root!

zone!of!the!soil!and!evaporated,!transpired!or! incorporated!by!plants.!It! is!

particularly!relevant!for!agricultural,!horticultural!and!forestry!products.!

B.! Blue! water! footprint! is! water! that! has! been! sourced! from! surface! or!

groundwater!and!is!either!evaporated,!incorporated!into!a!product!or!taken!

from!one!body!of!water!and!returned!to!another,!or!returned!at!a!different!

time.!Irrigated!agriculture,!industry!and!domestic!water!use!can!each!have!

a!blue!water!footprint.!

C.! Grey! water! footprint! is! the! amount! of! fresh! water! required! to! assimilate!

pollutants!to!meet!specific!water!quality!standards.!The!grey!water!footprint!

considers! pointUsource! pollution! discharged! to! a! freshwater! resource!

directly! through! a! pipe! or! indirectly! through! runoff! or! leaching! from! the! soil,!

impervious!surfaces,!or!other!diffuse!sources.!


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2.4.' Our'HIDDEN'TREASURE:'DIRECT'W'INDIRECT'WATER'FOOTPRINT'Most!of!the!water!we!consume!is!not!visible!to!our!eyes!!Considering!that!15.000!litres!

of!water!are!needed!to!produce!1!kg!of!beefh!100!litres!of!water!for!1!kg!of!oranges,!our!

direct! impact!on!our!water! footprint! is!3%!of! the! total,!while!almost!97%!of!our!water!

footprint!is!hidden!on!what!we!buy!and!we!eat!!

Fresh!water! is! the! blue! gold,! but! not!many! people! are! aware! that! there! is! a! hidden!

treasure!which!we!can!all!discover,!save!and!enhance!with!our!consuming!behaviours.!

It! is! the! indirect! water! footprint! related! to! our!

consuming! behaviours.! What! is! the! difference!

with! our! direct! water! footprint?! The! direct! water!

footprint! indicates! the! freshwater! consumption!

and!pollution!that!is!associated!to!the!water!directly!

used! by! the! consumer! or! producer! for! drinking,!

washing,!etc.!The! indirect!water! footprint! indicates!

the!consumption!and!pollution!of!the!(virtual)!water!

associated!with! the!production!of! the!goods! (food,! clothes!or!any!other!product)!and!

services! consumed3.! Whereas! direct! water! footprints! are! the! traditional! focus! of!

consumers! and! companies,! the' indirect'water' footprint' is' generally'much' larger:!activities! such! as! drinking,! cooking,! cleaning!

represents!only! the!3%!of!your!personal!water!

footprint!! Your' water' footprint' is' largely'associated'with'the'products'you'buy!!

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2.5.' WATER'USE'and'WATER'FOOTPRINT:'WHAT'is'the'DIFFERENCE?'What!is!the!difference!between!water!use!and!water!footprint?!! !

The!water! use! includes! the!water!withdrawal! and! the!water! consumption.! The!water!

footprint! counts! only! the! water! consumption,! so! the! volume! of! freshwater! used! and!

then! evaporated! or! incorporated! into! a! product.! It! is! the! water! that! is! no! longer!

available! because! it! has! evaporated,! been! transpired! by! plants,! incorporated! into!

products! or! crops,! consumed! by! people! or! livestock,! or! otherwise! removed! from! the!

immediate!water!environment.!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3!Source:!The!Water!Footprint!Assessment!Manual,!Arjen!Y.!Hoekstra,!Ashok!K.!Chapagain,!Maite!M.!Aldaya!and!Mesfin!M.!Mekonnen!–!2011!

DIRECT!WATER!FOOTPRINT:!INDICATES!THE!AMOUNT!OF!FRESH!WATER!CONSUMPTION!AND!

POLLUTION!THAT!IS!ASSOCIATED!TO!THE!WATER!

DIRECTLY!USED!BY!THE!CONSUMER!OR!PRODUCER!

INDIRECT!WATER!FOOTPRINT:!INDICATES!THE!WATER!CONSUMPTION!AND!POLLUTION!

ASSOCIATED!WITH!THE!PRODUCTION!OF!GOODS!

AND!SERVICES!CONSUMED.!

WANT!TO!LEARN!MORE?!HAVE!A!LOOK!ON!WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=NTKAV5XOWEO!

WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=IEMCJPDMCNE!


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2.6.' The'NATIONAL'WATER'FOOTPRINT'There! is!a! large!difference!of!water! footprint!between!nations,!according! to! the!water!

availability:!by!buying!imported!products!we!indirectly!affect!the!water!availability!of!the!

country!where!the!product!is!from,!according!to!the!WF!of!the!product!itself.!Therefore,!

to!be!a! responsible!consumer!means!also! to!pay!attention!on!purchases,!avoiding! to!

buy! products! impacting! a! lot! on! the! water! footprint! of! countries! with! water! scarcity.!!

A! nation’s! water! footprint! can! be! viewed! from! two! perspectives:! production! and!

consumption.!The!water!footprint!of!production!is!the!amount!of! local!water!resources!

used!to!produce!goods!and!services!within!the!country:!it!includes!the!water!footprint!of!

agriculture,!industry!and!domestic!water!use!and!tells!us!the!total!volume!of!water!and!

assimilation!capacity!consumed!within!the!borders!of!the!country.!! !

The!water!footprint!from!the!perspective!of!consumption!is!calculated!for!all!the!goods!

and!services!that!are!consumed!by!the!people!living!in!a!country.!This!water!footprint!

may! be! partly! inside! the! country! and! partly!

outside!of! it,! depending!on!whether! the!products!

are! locally! produced! or! imported.! Together,! the!

water!footprint!of!production!and!consumption!tell!

an! important! story! about! a! nation’s! water! use! and! dependence! on! external! water!

resources.!The!water!footprint!of!production!measures!the!amount!of!pressure!on!local!

water!resources!and!helps!to!understand!whether!they!are!used!in!a!sustainable!way.!

The!water!footprint!of!consumption!reflects!the!standard!of! living!and!lifestyle!choices!

of! residents.!Understanding! how!much! of!water! footprint! of! consumption! is!within! its!

borders! and! how!much!

is! elsewhere! is! a! first!

step! toward! the!

assessment! of! the!

country’s!external!water!

dependence! and! its!

influence! on! food! and!

other! forms! of! security.!Figure' 3:! Water! footprint!of!national!production!and!

consumption4! '

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4!Source!the!Water!Footprint!Network!

WANT!TO!KNOW!MORE?!!

PLAY!WITH!THE!NATIONAL!WATER!FOOTPRINT!EXPLORER!!FIND!OUT!THE!WATER!FOOTPRINT!OF!

YOUR!COUNTRY!AND!COMPARE!IT!WITH!OTHERS’!


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2.7.' AQUAWLAB:'Let’s'learn'about'the'WATER'FOOTPRINT'Blue,'green'and'grey!'The'water'footprint'colors!

Blue.! The! blue! water! footprint! is! an! indicator! that! is! suitable! to! be!developed! with! various! educational! activities,! including! several!

experiments!of!evaporation!and!transformation!of!state.!At!school!you!can!

also! look! at! some! of! the! features! of! the! land! causing! the! formation! of!

surface!and!groundwater!basins,!e.g.!by!analysing!the!composition!and!permeability!of!

different!types!of!soils.!You!just!need!to!go!out!in!the!school!garden!and!collect!some!

samples!or!you!just!bring!in!some!samples!of!soil!collected!in!different!areas,!making!

sure!you!dig!for!at!least!30!cm.!In!the!classroom,!divided!into!working!groups,!you!will!

put! all! collected! samples! into! transparent! containers,! where! you! will! add! water! and!

vigorously!shake!the!mixture.!After!about!24!hours,!after!the!soil!is!deposited!again!on!

the!bottom,!you!will!be!able!to!observe!the!different!materials!composing!the!samples,!

with! the! lowest! layer!made! of! stones,! and! the! upper! level! made! of! humus.! Various!

layered!materials! –! e.g.! sand! and! stones,! clay! and! humusU! can! in! turn! be! used! as!

filters! for! three! bottles,! each! one! equipped! with! a! funnel! closed! with! wadding.! By!

pouring!water!on! the! three! filters,! timing!and!comparing! the! time! taken! to!get!off! the!

water! in!the!bottles,!you!can!examine!the!different!permeability!of!soils!and!figure!out!

the! journey! that!a! raindrop!makes!once! it! touches! the!ground.!Further,!by!measuring!

the! water! felt! into! the! bottle,! each! group! can! also! detect! how! much! water! remains!

"trapped"!in!the!ground!(relevant!for!the!green%water%footprint%concept).!

Green.!Do!plants!and!soil!contain!water?!In!order!to!answer!to!this!question,!identify!an!area!in!the!school!garden,!where!you!can!dig!a!hole,!deep!enough!to!accommodate!a!

container! inside.!Close! the!hole!with!a!plastic! sheet,! lock! the!edges!with! stones!and!

place! a! small! stone! in! the! centre,! so! as! to! lower! the! plastic! where! the! container! is!

placed.!After!a! few!days,!check! the!container:!ground!water!heated!by! the!sun,!once!

evaporated!and!condensed!on! the!nylon!cloth,!will! fall! into! the!container!as!droplets.!

You!can!set!up!the!tests!under!different!conditions,!for!example!with!different!types!of!

exposure!to!the!sun,!or!with!more!or!less!sandy!soils,!in!order!to!record!different!results!

and!to!reflect!on!differences!in!the!water!cycle!applied!on!different!climatic!conditions.!!

This! task! can! be! simplified! by! taking! a! small! quantity! of! terrain,! or! by! collecting! the!

grass!from!the!school!garden.!You!will!just!need!to!fill!in!few!plastic!cups!with!different!

samples!collected!and!cover!them!with!plastic!wrap:!after!a!few!hours,!on!the!cover!a!


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condensation! will! appear,! and! a! small! “cloud”! will! produce! a! droplets! rain! on! the!

ground.!

Grey.! This! is! the! less! obvious! water! appropriation! concept,! but! among! the! most!important!ones,!as!it!is!linked!to!the!need!of!natural!systems,!such!as!a!river!or!a!lake,!

assimilating!the!pollution!generated!by!human!activities!and!which!is!directly!related!to!

the!pollutants!concentration.! In!order! to!get!what! the!grey!water! footprint! is,! you!can!

use!water!and!ink!and!imagine!that!ink!is!poison!if!it!is!very!intense.!By!adding!water,!

students! will! understand! the! ink! becomes! lighter! and! an! imaginary! point! of!

brightness/darkness!can!be!established!for!the!fish!to!survive.!They!can!then!see!how!

much!water!they!had!to!add!before!the!water!was!good!for!the!fish!to!swim.!!

Also,! you! can! organize,! as! a! class,! a! visit! to! the! sewage! treatment! plant! or! to! a!

company,! for!example! food!producer.!Before! the!visit,! the!class,!divided! into!groups,!

examines!the!LCA!of!some!products,!namely!it!will!assess!environmental!impacts!of!a!

product's!life!cycle,!starting!from!its!production!until!its!disposal,!and!it!will!highlight!the!

stages!where! there! is!a!higher!water!consumption,! in!order! to!prepare!questions!and!

topics!to!be!discussed!and!asked!to!the!technicians!during!the!visit.!

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3.' WATER'SUSTAINABILITY'As!water! is! a! finite! resource,! is! its! consumption! sustainable?! If! sustainability! is! “the!

practice! of! reserving! resources! for! future! generation! without! any! harm! to! the! nature!

and! other! components! of! it5”,! water! is! one! of! the!most! important! natural! resources,!

supporting!all!forms!of!life!on!the!planet,!fundamental!for!human!needs!and!related!to!

numerous!global! issues!such!as!poverty! reduction,!health!and!sanitation,! inequalities!

and!degradation!of!ecosystems.!! !

But:!why! to!concern!about!water! sustainability! if! our!planet’s! surface! is! composed!of!

75%!of!water?!Because,!as!we!saw!in!the!previous!chapter,!2.5%!of!the!total!water!is!

fresh!water!and!only!0.3%!of!it!is!readily!available!for!human!consumption!!

Our! pressure! on! limited!water! resources! is! getting!more! and!more! intense:! globally,!

human!population!is!growing!(now!topping!over!7!billion!people,!more!than!double!than!

50! years! ago!)! and! citizens! consumption! patterns! (especially! of! US! and! Europeans!

citizens)! have! a! great! impact! on!water! consumption! and!water! pollution! all! over! the!

world.! Water! is! a! finite! resource! worldwide:! producing! our! daily! products! causes!

significant!water!consumption!and!pollution,!which!does!not!always!make!an!impact!in!

places!where!products!are!used,!but!many! times! in! river!basins!already!experiencing!

water!scarcity!/!water!pollution.!

!

3.1.' WATER'SCARCITY'Water! scarcity! occurs!when! in! an! area! every! person! has! less! than! 1000m3! of!water!

available!p/year.!Water!scarcity!does!not!depend!just!from!limited!water!resources,!but!

also!from!fast!increasing!needs!and!exponential!growth!of!the!population.!!

!

Figure'4:!Hoekstra,!A.Y.!and!Mekonnen,!M.M.!(2012)!The!water!footprint!of!humanity,!Proceedings!of!the!National!Academy!of!Sciences,!109(9):!3232–3237!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!5!Melvin!K.!Hendrix,!Sustainable!Backyard!Polyculture:!Designing!for!ecological!resiliency!Smashwords!ebook!ed!2014!


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By!2050,!the!global!population!could!reach!9.5!billion,!meaning!an!additional!demand!

of!freshwater!of!64!billion!m3!per!year6.!!

Analogically!with!the!world’s!GDP!(Gross!Domestic!Product)!growth,!also!consumption!

patterns!worldwide,!both! in! terms!of! resources,! food,!energy!and! therefore!water!are!

aligning! with! standards! of! developed! countries,! severely! impacting! on! water!

consumption:! it! is! foreseen! that! by! 2050,! water! withdrawals! may! increase! by! 55%!

overall,!and!especially:!

U! Agricultural!water!consumption!is!expected!to!raise!by!19%!by!2050,!according!

to!an!increase!of!food!demand!by!60%,!100%!in!developing!countries.!

U! Urban!areas!are!developing!at!unprecedented!rates:!every!second!the!world’s!

urban!population!grows!by!2!people.!

To! cover! their! water! needs,! cities! will! have! to! dig! deeper! or! go! further,! or! rely! on!

innovative!solutions!and!technological!progress.!Therefore,!the!earth!could!not!sustain!

such! stress! and! by! 2050! it! is! foreseen! that! 1.8! billion! people! could! be! exposed! to!

absolute!water!scarcity.!!

!

3.2.' WATER'POLLUTION'Water! scarcity! is! becoming! a!more! and!more! serious! problem,! not! only! in! terms! of!

available!quantity!of!fresh!water,!but!also!with!regards!to!its!quality:!

U! Demographic!growth!creates!pressures!in!terms!of!sanitation!and!waste!production!

U! Cities! are! built! at! unprecedented! rates! and! often! their! infrastructures! are! not!

adequate:! over! 80%! of! wastewater! worldwide! is! not!

collected!or!treated!

U! The!food!sector!highly!contributes!to!the!production!of!

organic!water!pollutants!!

U! Heavy! industries! (leather! and! chemicals)! reject!

pollutantsh!also,!about!15U18!billion!m3!of!freshwater!resources!are!contaminated!by!

fossil!fuels!extraction!every!year!

Water! pollution! has! considerable! impacts! on! the! environment.! The! services!

ecosystems! can! provide! across! the! planet! have! deteriorated.! Half! of! the! world’s!

wetlands! (rivers,!streams,!swamps,! lakes,!etc.)!which!play!a!critical! role! in! regulating!

water!quality!and!quantity!have!already!disappeared!since!1900!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!6!UN!2015,!World!Water!Development!Report!

DO!YOU!KNOW!THAT?!!

DISEASES!CAUSED!BY!POOR!WATER,!SANITATION!AND!HYGIENE!LEAD!TO!A!FEW!MILLION!DEATHS!EACH!YEAR!

AND!AFFECT!PEOPLE!FILLING!HALF!OF!THE!HOSPITAL!

BEDS!IN!DEVELOPING!COUNTRIES!!


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As!humans,!we!also!may!get!exposed! in!a!number!of!ways7:!drinking!polluted!water,!

swimming!or!bathing!in!it,!consuming!food!contaminated!by!polluted!water,!consuming!

meat!from!animals!that!fed!on!food!polluted!by!water,!etc.!!

!

3.3.' WATER'EQUITY'Freshwater! resources! are! unequally! shared! and! strong! disparities! exist! at! all! levels.!

Water! scarcity! and! pollution! are! impacting! some! populations!more! than! others:! they!

affect!primarily!the!most!vulnerable,!especially!the!poor!as!well!as!women!and!children.!!

Inequalities! regarding!water! consumption!are!also! tremendous:!on!average,!a! citizen!

will! consume!250! litres! of! freshwater! per! day! in!

North! America,! 100! to! 230! litres! in! Europe,!

against!less!than!10!litres!in!SubUSaharan!Africa.!

And! this! is! only! about! direct! water! footprint!!!

In!terms!of!access!to!drinkable!water,!more!than!

1/3! of! the! global! population! (over! 40%! in! some!

countries)! is!suffering!from!deprivation.!This!particularly! impacts!women!and!children,!

often!in!charge!of!collecting!water8.!In!SubUSaharan!Africa,!only!60%!of!the!population!

had! access! to! drinkable! water! in! 2008.! Also! European! regions! (in! Spain,! Italy,! the!

Netherlands! or! Germany)! are! exposed! to! high! or! extremely! high! water! stress.! So,!

water!equity!is!a!concern!also!for!our!continent!and!this!issue!should!be!considered!at!

regional!and!local!levels.!

!

3.4.' WATER'WASTE'and'PERSPECTIVES'Globally,!one!third!of!the!global!food!production!is!wasted!or!lost!annually.!Citizens!of!

Europe!and!North!America!waste!95! to!115kg!of! food!per!year,!about!10! to!15! times!

more! than! a! consumer! in! Asia! or! SubUSaharan! Africa9.! As!most! of! the! products! we!

consume!are!produced!abroad,!the!impacts!linked!to!our!consumption!patterns!are!felt!

worldwide.!!

Further,! European! cities! tend! to! be!water! intensive! and!mostly! inefficient! in! the!way!

they!use!the!resource.!At!the!end!of!1990s,!up!to!half!of!water!was!lost!in!urban!water!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!7!From!http://www.environmentalpollutioncenters.org/water/!8!Pickering,!a.J.!and!davis,!J.!2012.!freshwater!availability!and!Water!fetching!distance!affect!Child!Health!in!subUsaharan!africa.!9!FAO,!from!UNWATER!website!

DO!YOU!KNOW!THAT?!!

WOMEN!IN!SOME!PLACES!IN!AFRICA!SPEND!AN!AVERAGE!OF!225!MINUTES!A!DAY!COLLECTING!

WATER!


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networks,!due!to!poor!maintenance!and!leakages.!So,!at!global!level!the!issue!of!water!

sustainability! is! a! matter! of! availability,! but! also! of! distribution! and! management! of!

available!resources.!Individual!behaviour!change!is!the!key!to!sustainability,!regarding!

direct!water!consumption!but!also!our!diet,!habits,!waste!and!energy!consumption.! '


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3.5.' AQUAWLAB:'Let’s'learn'about'the'WATER'SUSTAINABILITY'3.5.1.' Water'is'Life'

What! a! seed! absolutely! needs! in! order! to! sprout?! After! a! brainstorming! within! the!

classroom,!the!"essential!ingredients"!are!identified!and,!after!bringing!in!the!classroom!

all!needed!materials,!we!set!up!in!the!classroom!some!germination!tests!with!trays!and!

cotton!wool.!Each! test!will! be!marked!with!a! label! pin!where!growing! conditions!and!

added!substances!are!reported.!For!example,!you!can!make!experiments!with!all! the!

chosen! ingredients! and! see! what! happens! if! one! or! more! ingredients! are! removed.!

Also,!once!the!seed!has!germinated,!does!the!new!plant!need!the!same!ingredients!to!

keep!on!growing?!

!

3.5.2.' Smart'water'tap.'Why!not!to!try!drinking!water!from!tap!during!school!meals?!The!activity!is!introduced!

by!analysing!the!processes!behind!the!production!of!mineral!water!and!tap!water,!and!

by! analysing! and! comparing:! consumption! data,! production! costs,! data! related! to!

transportation! and! disposal! of! bottled! water! and! water! supply,! by! highlighting! the!

environmental! impacts! and! costs! incurred! by! each! school! in! order! to! provide! bottled!

water!in!school!canteens.!It!is!then!possible!to!proceed!on!the!analysis!of!the!water!of!

the! school,! by! using! colorimetric! strips! in! order! to! define! the! major! chemical! water!

features!(nitrates,!nitrites,!chlorides!and!sulphates),!to!estimate!the!water!hardness!and!

pH,!and!finally!to!make!a!comparison!with!the!data!reported!on!labels!of!bottled!water.!

'3.5.3.' Water'for'everyone'

After!gym!class,!you!can!play!an!interesting!roleUplaying!game!related!to!the!availability!

of! water! in! the! planet.! You! bring! to! the! class! five! bottles! of! water! or! a! single! tank,!

preferably! transparent,! filled! in! with! water,! and! as! many! glasses! as! the! number! of!

children.!The! teacher/facilitator!makes!sure! that!every! thirsty!kid!will! have!one!glass.!

Before!drinking,!though,!everyone!will!have!to!first!“change”!its!identity!and!become!the!

representative!of!one!State!belonging! to! the!UN,!by! randomly!picking!up!his/her!new!

nationality! from! a! range! of! cards! prepared! in! advance.! You! distribute! water! in! the!

glasses,!not!equally,!but!according!to!the!availability!of!water!of!the!citizens’!state!the!

kid!is!representing!!Who!can!drink!and!who!cannot?!Reflections,!reactions:!the!debate!

that! follows! will! be! the! starting! point! for! an! inUdepth! activity,! in! order! to! discover!

reasons!and!problems!–!such!as!pollution,!drought,!intensive!agriculture,!etc.!–!making!

difficult!the!access!to!fresh!and!drinkable!water!in!many!regions!of!the!planet.! !


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4.' DIETARY'HABITS'Our!consumption!patterns,!especially!our!diet,!are!critical!to!the!final!freshwater!use.!

Although! we! are! not! aware,! daily! consumption! habits! such! as! food,! dressing! and!

everything!else!we!purchase,!imply!large!amounts!of!water!consumption!and!pollution!

and!therefore!contribute!to!our!water!footprint!as!citizens!and!as!a!nation.!This!invisible!

water!we!consume!every!day,!needed!to!produce!the!goods!we!use!and!the!food!we!

eat,!is!called!“Virtual!Water”10.!!

Averagely!the!daily!water!footprint!of!a!citizen!is!around!3800!litres.!However,!only!3%!

of!this!water!footprint!relates!to!the!water!we!use!at!home!to!bath,!cook,!wash!our!car!

or!irrigate!our!garden.!97%!of!our!water!footprint!comes!from!the!products!we!purchase!

and!consume!every!day11.!!

The!water! footprint! of! an!European!Union! consumer! is! 25%!higher! than! the!World’s!

average! –! 5.130! litres! of! water! per! day.! This!means! that! the! average! annual! water!

footprint! of! an! European! Union! consumer! is! equivalent! to! the! volume! of! water!

necessary!to!fill!in!two!thirds!of!an!Olympic!swimming!pool.!!

How'can'we'make'an'impact'on'this'water'if'it'is'invisible'to'us?'Can'we'make'a'difference'with'our'water'footprint?'Surely'yes!'Starting'from'our'table!!'

Dietary!habits!strongly!impact!on!our!water!footprint:!while!our!body!needs!2!to!4!litres!

of! drinking!water! per! day,! producing!our! daily! food! requires!averagely!3.000! litres!of!

water12.! The! dietary! shift! to! meatUbased! products! is! one! of! the! main! concerns.!

Producing!1kg!of!beef!requires!15.000!litres!of!water,!ten!times!more!than!1!kg!of!grain!!

And!meat!consumption! is!expected! to! rise! from!37kg!per!person!per!year! in!2000! to!

52kg!by!2030.!Within!European!Union!countries,!

Luxembourg,! Portugal! and! Spain! have! the! top!

water! footprints!(and! in! the!world),!and!only! the!

United!Kingdom!and!Slovakia!have!an!average!

consumption!water!footprint!per!capita!below!the!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!10!Virtual!Water!U!the!Water,!Food,!and!Trade!Nexus'W'Useful!Concept!or!Misleading!Metaphor?'by!J.A.!(Tony)!Allan,!SOAS/King’s!College!London,!Water!Research!Group,'The!Strand,!London,!United!Kingdom!https://www.soas.ac.uk/water/publications/papers/file38394.pdf!11!Mekonnen,!M.M.!and!Hoekstra!(2011)!National!water!footprint!accounts:!The!green,!blue!and!grey!water!footprint!of!production!and!consumption,!Value!of!Water!Research!Report!Series!No.!50,!UNESCOUIHE,!Delft,!the!Netherlands.!http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Report50UNationalWaterFootprintsUVol1.pdf!12!Source:!FAO,!from!UNWATER!website!

DO!YOU!KNOW!THAT?!

THE!WATER!USED!TO!PRODUCED!AGRICULTURAL!

COMMODITIES!IS!CALLED!“VIRTUAL!WATER”!!

LEARN!MORE!http://www.angelamorelli.com/1/?projects=virtualUwaterUcommunicatingUwaterUscienceUonUtv!


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world’s!average.!These!high!water! footprints,!are!mainly!due! to! the! large!amounts!of!

meat!in!these!countries!typical!meals.!! The!global!water!demand!for!production!of!

food,!feed,!fibre!and!energy!crops!rapidly!increases.!Although!in!many!countries!most!

of! the! food! still! originates! locally,! substantial! volumes! of! food! and! feed! are!

internationally!traded.!All!the!European!countries!have!net!virtual!water!import,!as!well!

as!they!use!some!water!for!making!export!products!but!more!water!is!used!elsewhere!

to!produce!commodities!that!are!imported.!

!

Figure'5:!European!Union!consumers!average!water!footprint!per!sector13.!!

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4.1.' DRINKS'Drinks! have! also! an! important! WF,! related! to! the! product! and! its! ingredients,! the!

process!for!producing!and!transporting!it,!for!producing!and!disposing!of!its!packaging.!

How!much!water!actually!goes!into!making!a!bottle!of!water?!!

Water:!The!amount!of!water!needed! to!make!a!bottle!of!water!could!be!up!to!6!or!7!times!what's!inside!the!bottle.!

Wine:! one! glass! (125! ml)! costs! 110! litres! of! water,! but! it! depends! were! wine! is!produced:!In!France,!Italy!and!Spain,! the!world’s! largest!wine!producers,! the!average!

water!footprint!is!90,!90,!195!litres!per!glass!of!wine,!respectively14.!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!13!Source:!D.!Vanham,!A.Y.!Hoekstra,!G.!Bidoglio!(2013).!Potential%water%saving%through%changes%in%European%diets.!Environment!International!61!(2013)!45–56.!14!Mekonnen!and!Hoekstra,!2011!


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Soft'drinks:!The!WF!of!a!soft!drink!depending!on! its! ingredients,!sugar! is!one!of! the!main!water!consuming!ingredients.!The!ratio!of!water!needed!for!producing!CocaUCola!

in!Europe!is!roughly!70:1,!as!per!½!litre!in!PET!bottle,!23!litres!of!water!are!needed!(15!

litres!related!to!Green!WF,!8!to!Blue!WF)!and!12!litres!of!water!are!wasted15!

4.2.' FOOD'The!products!which!have!been!created!with!the!involvement!of!animals!in!supply!chain!

are!much!more!difficult!to!be!quantified!in!terms!of!water!footprint,!as!animals!are!often!

fed!by!a!variety!of! feed! ingredients!whose!supply!chains!are!difficult! to! trace.!Unless!

we!have!milk,!cheese,!eggs,!or!meat!from!an!animal!that!was!completely!raised!locally,!

it!is!hard!to!assess!the!exact!WF!of!such!products.!!

!Figure'6:!the!water!footprint!of!our!food!16!

!The!largest!fraction!(98%)!of!the!water!footprint!of!animal!products!refers!to!the!water!

footprint!of!the!feed!for!the!animals.!Generally!speaking,!the!water!footprint!per!gram!of!

protein!for!milk,!eggs,!and!chicken!meat!is!about!1.5!times!larger!than!that!for!pulses.!

Also,! there! is! a! great! difference! between! different! kinds! of! meat:! chickens! are! less!

water!impacting!than!cowsh!also!sheep!meat!is!less!impacting!as!this!animal!is!usually!

raised!on!grass!instead!of!fed!on!grain.!The!global!water!footprint!of!animal!production!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!15!Source:!Product!Water!Footprint!assessment!U!Practical!Application!in!Corporate!Water!Stewardship!September!2010!report,!presented!by!the!Coca!Cola!Company!joint!with!the!Nature!Conservancy!http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/CocaColaUTNCU2010UProductWaterFootprintAssessments_1.pdf!16!Source:!http://temp.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/InfoGraphics!!


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amounts! to! 2.422! billion!m³/year! (87%!green,! 6%!blue,! 7%!grey).! 1/3! of! this! total! is!

related!to!beef!cattle,!and!another!19%!is!related!to!dairy!cattle17.!

4.2.1.' Which'diet'to'choose?'A!vegetarian!diet!(or!at!least,!diet!based!on!much!less!consumption!of!meat),!reduces!

the! foodUrelated! water! footprint! to! 2.300! L/day,! which! means! a! reduction! of! 36%! in!

relation!to!a!meatU!based!diet.!Consumers!can!reduce!their!WF!either!by!reducing!their!

volume! of! meat! consumption! or! by! being! more! selective! on! the! meat! they! choose.!

Also,!it!is!important!to!consider!that!low!impacting!products!might!also!have!a!high!blue!

and!green!water! footprint,!but! low!grey!water! footprint.!Mediterranean!diet,!based!on!

cereals!and!vegetables,!can!be!a!good!example!of!a!WFUhealthy!plan,! less!impacting!

than!Northern!Europe!and!American!diets,!as!it!uses!less!meat!and!animal!products18.!

Let’s!see!the!water!footprint!of!2!typical!products!of!Mediterranean!diet:!

Water' Footprint' of' PASTA:! The! global! average! water! footprint! of! wheat! is! 1827!litre/kg.!1!kilogram!of!wheat!gives!about!790!gram!of!pasta,!so!that!the!water!footprint!

of!pasta!on!average!is!about!1850!litre/kg.!!

Water'Footprint'of'PIZZA'MARGHERITA:!The!global!average!water!footprint!of!one!pizza!margherita!(725!gram)!is!1.260!litre!of!water.!The!largest!contribution!to!the!total!

comes!from!the!mozzarella19,!as!it!represents!about!50%!of!the!total!water!use,!bread!

wheat!flour!44%!and!tomato!puree!about!6%.!The'impact'of'the'water'footprints'of'pasta'and'pizza'depends'on'the'vulnerability'of'the'water'systems'where'the'water'footprints'are'located.!The!impact!of!WF!of!pasta!is!most!severe!in!Puglia!and!Sicily,!where!groundwater!overexploitation!for!durum!wheat!irrigation!is!common.!

The! impact!of! the!water! footprint!of!pizza! is!more!diverse.! It' is'concentrated' in' the'first' step' of' the' supplyWchain' of' tomato' puree' and' mozzarella,' i.e.' in' the'cultivation'of' tomatoes'and'the' feed'crops'of'dairy'cows.!The!bread!wheat!used!for! the! pizza! base! does! not! have! large! impacts.! The! water! footprint! impact! of! the!

tomato!puree!on!the!pizza!is!concentrated!in!Puglia!(groundwater!overexploitation!and!

pollution!related!to!tomato!cultivation)!and!EmiliaURomagna!(water!pollution).!The!water!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!17!Mekonnen!and!Hoekstra,!2010!18!Source:!Ecological,!carbon!and!water!footprints!of!food!production!and!consumption!in!the!Mediterranean!region!U!Roberto!Capone,!Abderraouf!Elferchichi,!Hamid!El!Bilali,!Nicola!Lamaddalena1!,!Lamberto!Lamberti1!http://dietamediterranea.iamb.it/index.php/it/areaUdownload/anteprimaUdocumenti/22UomedUpreviewUfiles/93U3UecologicalUcarbonUandUwaterUfootprintsUofUfoodUproductionUandUconsumptionUinUtheUmediterraneanUregion!!19The!water!needed!to!have!Italians!eat!pasta!and!pizza,!UNESCO!Institute!for!water!education,!May!2009!!


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footprint! impact!of!mozzarella! lies!mostly! in!the!effects!of!water!use!for!producing!the!

feed!ingredients!for!the!dairy!cows.'Mozzarella'production'further'poses'a'potential'threat' to' water' quality,' mostly' in' the' Po' valley,' but' this' problem' seems' to' be'properly'regulated,'although'possibly'not'fully'controlled20.!

!Figure'7:!Green,!blue!and!Grey!Water!footprints!of!bread!and!pasta21!

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4.2.2.' Not'only'food…'We!affect!our!WF!with!food!but!also!with!other!products!and!services!we!buy,!such!as:!

textiles,!electricity,!transports.!Let’s!have!a!quick!glance:!

1.! Textile:!Cotton! is!the!most! important!natural! fibre!used!in!the!textile! industries!worldwide.!But!cotton!consumption!is!responsible!for!2.6%!of!the!global!water!use.!The!global!average!water!footprint!of!cotton!fabric!is!10.000!litre!per!kg.!That!means!that!on!

average!one!cotton!shirt!of!250!gram!takes!in!average!about!2500!litres!of!water.!A!pair!

of!jeans!of!800!gram!take!8.000!litres.!About!84%!of!the!WF!of!cotton!consumption!in!

the!EU! region! is! located!outside!Europe,!with!major! impacts!particularly! in! India!and!

Uzbekistan.!Which!are!the!effects?!A!sad!but!meaningful!effect! is!the!shrinking!of!the!

Aral! sea22,! in! Central! Asia,! due! to! the! over! exploitation! of! water! for! irrigating! cotton!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!20!Source:!http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/AldayaUHoekstraU2010_1.pdf!21Source:!http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactiveUtools/productUgallery/!!22!Source:!http://reconsideringrussia.org/2014/08/15/aUguideUtoUtheUstansUofUcentralUasia/aralUsea/!!


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fields.!Formerly!one!of!the!four!largest!lakes!in!the!world,!it!has!been!steadily!shrinking!

since!the!1960s!after!the!rivers!that!fed!it!were!diverted!by!Soviet!irrigation!projects.!

!

Figure'8:!water!footprint!of!a!cotton!tUshirt,!depending!on!the!origin!of!the!cotton!fabric!

!

The!shrinking!of!the!Aral!Sea!has!been!called!"one!of!the!planet's!worst!environmental!

disasters23!as!the!region's!onceUprosperous!fishing! industry!has!been!destroyed,!bringing!

unemployment!and!economic!hardship.!The!region! is!heavily!polluted,!with!serious!public!

health!problems24.!

'

Figure'9:!photographs!illustrating!the!diminution!of!the!Aral!sea.!From!left!to!right:!(top!row)!1973,!1989,!1999,!(bottom!row)!2001,!2003,!2009!(US!geological!survey!and!NASA)!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!23!Source:!Daily!Telegraph!(2010U04U05).!"Aral!Sea!'one!of!the!planet's!worst!environmental!disasters'".!The%Daily%Telegraph!(London)!24!https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Sea!!


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2.! Transport:!!The!water! footprint! is!different!among! transport!modes!and!depends!on! the! transport!

fuel.! In! western! societies,! transport! requires! about! 1/3! of! total! energy! use25! and!

contributes!substantially!to!greenhouse!gas!emissions,!but!it!affects!WF!as!well:!If!10%!

of! the! fuel! used! in! transports! is! replaced! by! bioUethanol,! biofuel! U! based! transport! in!

Europe!will!require!a!water!volume!equal!to!about!10%!of!the!European!water!footprint!

of!food!and!cotton!consumption.!

3.' Energy'There! is! a! great! differences! between! the! types! of! energy! source.! Biofuels! and!

hydrogen! economy! need! considerably!more!water! usage! than! the! fossil! fuels.!CornU

based!ethanol,!which!some!tout!as!an!ecoUfriendly!alternative!fuel,!is!not!waterUfriendly:!

ethanol!or!biodiesel!production!requires!13.05!litres!of!water!per!litre!of!biofuel!and!oil!

shale!needs!more!than!22.71!litres!of!water!for!every!litre!of!gasoline.!Thermal!power!

plants! (80%!of!electricity!production)!are!particularly!water! intensive26:! their!cooling! is!

responsible!for!43%!of!total!freshwater!withdrawal!in!Europe,!nearly!50%!in!the!US27.!

4.' Electronic'goods'Also!unexpected!products!may!be!considered! regarding! their!WF,!such!as!electronic!

goods! and,! specifically,! smartphones,! which! are! manufactured! of! many! key!

components! of! general! electronic! devices.! Smartphones! require! raw! materials!

extracted! from! across! the! globe! and! the! manufacturing! process! has! a! significant!

footprint!as!well.!The!overall!footprint!of!a!generic!smartphone!estimated!to!be!12.760!

litres,!or!160!baths,!of!water,!during!their!production.!

5.' Other…'Also! your! stationery! products! have! a! water! footprint!! A! simple! paper! implies! the!

consumption!of!10!litres!of!water!!28!

! !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!25!Blok,!2006h!IEA,!2009!26!UNESCO,!2014,!World!Water!Assessment!Programme!27!UNESCO,!2014,!World!Water!Development!Report!28!Source:!Hoekstra,!Van!Oel,!P.R.!and!Hoekstra,!A.Y.!(2010)!The!green!and!blue!water!footprint!of!paper!products:!methodological!considerations!and!quantification,!Value!of!Water!Research!Report!Series!No.46,!UNESCOUIHE,!Delft,!the!Netherlands!


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4.3.' AQUAWLAB:'Let’s'learn'about'DIETARY'HABITS'!4.3.1.' How'much'water'do'we'eat?'

We!can!prepare!in!the!classroom!some!simple!experiments!devoted!to!evaporation,!in!

order! to! check!how!much!water! is! present! in! living!beings!and! that! all! life! forms!are!

actively!involved!in!the!water!cycle.!We!bring!an!electronic!scale!and!apples,!then!we!

ask!pupils,!in!groups,!to!cut!them!into!pieces!or!slices,!to!accurately!record!their!weight!

and!then!to!put!everything!exposed!to!the!sun!or!the!a!heat!source!such!as!a!radiator!

of!the!class.!!

What!is!going!to!happen?!During!the!dehydration!process,!the!apple!slices!will!dry!up!

and!the!pupils!will!be!able! to!quantify! the!water!evaporated,!by!weighting!them!again!

and!compare!the!weights!before!and!after!the!water!evaporation.!The!experiment!can!

be! done! also!with! other! fruits! and! vegetables! such! as! tomatoes,! potatoes,! zucchini,!

carrots,!bananas!and!grapes!to!find!out!the!differences!of!water!contained!in!each!one!

of!them!and!also!with!other!foods!such!as!ham,!meat!and!mozzarella.!This!could!also!

be!the!starting!point!for!introducing!the!theme!of!water!needed!to!produce!food!on!our!

table.!!

'4.3.2.' An'inverted'pyramid'

Try! to! draw! on! a! large! poster! the! food! pyramid,! the! graphic! designed! by! the! US!

Department!of!Agriculture! in!1992!and! then!amended!with! the! latest!health! research,!

used!to!encourage!people!to!consume!foods!situated!at!the!top!in!small!quantities!and,!

on!the!contrary,!to!increase!foods!placed!at!the!base!of!the!pyramid.!Afterwards,!look!

for!the!water!footprint!of!all!foods!of!the!pyramid!and!make!a!similar!chart!of!the!one!of!

food! pyramid:! you! will! discover! recommended! and! healthiest! foods! are! those! with!

lower!water! footprint!!You!can!also!build!pyramids!of!both! food!and!water! footprint! in!

three! dimensions! with! coloured! paper! and! expose! the! installation! in! the! school!

premises!in!order!to!raise!awareness!among!fellowUstudents.!

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5.' TIPS'and'TRICKS'

5.1.' How'to'reduce'our'water'footprint?''

Our! lifestyle! can! be! more! sustainable! in! terms! of! water! footprint.! A! small! effort! to!

conserve!water!generates!exponential!benefits,!and!each!citizen!has!the!power!to!have!

a!significant!impact!on!it!!!

How!can!we!do!it?!Through!small!but!significant!steps:!

A.! Become!more!responsible!citizens,!aware!of!our!consumes!and!products!we!buy!!!

If! consumers! are! properly! informed,! they! can! choose! and! have! the! chance! to!

change! their! consumption! habits,! such! as! buying! food,! clothes! with! lower! water!

footprint,! or! preferring! public! to! private! highly! water! impacting! transport.! How!

simplier!would!be!if!products!would!“say”!their!own!water!footpirnt:!we!would!be!led!

in!our!purchases!much!more!easily!!Although!a! labelling!system!stating! the!water!

footprint!of!products!does!not!exists!yet29!we!can!get!informed!and!through!several!

sources!and!follow!some!simple!good!habits:!!

B.! Follow!a!balanced!diet!!It!does!not!mean!not!to!eat!meat,!but!to!be!moderated!and!

balanced:! a! meatUeating! person! has! an!

average! daily! water! footprint! of! 5.000! litres!

per!day,!whilst!the!average!for!a!vegetarian!is!

2.500! litres.! In! heavy! meatUconsumption!

oriented! countries,! the! advice! is:! one! meatU

freeUday!a!week!!!

C.! Choose! the! kind! of! meat! you! eat!! Not! all! types! of! meat! are! the! same:! meat! of!

animals! raised! on! grass! is! less! impacting.! Usually! sheep! meat! is! of! this! kind,!

whereas!cornUfed!beef!is!much!more!impacting!in!terms!of!waterfootprint.!

D.! Do!not!waste!products!you!buy!and,!specifically,!do!not!waste!food!!It!is!a!“double”!

waste! as,! by! wasting! food,! you! waste! both! the! food! itself! and! its! virtual! water,!

necessary! water! for! producing! it.! We! should! not! accept! having! industrialized!

countries,!where!wasted!food!is!approximately!30%!of!the!food!we!purchase,!whilst!

several!developing!countries!are!at!risk!of!both!famine!and!water!scarcity!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!29!See!http://www.theguardian.com/sustainableUbusiness/waterUfootprintUlabelsUconsumerUproducts!!

WARNING!!!

YOU!DO!NOT!NEED!TO!“STOP”!EATING!IN!ORDER!TO!REDUCE!YOUR!WATER!FOOTPRINT!!LOW!IMPACTING!PRODUCTS!MIGHT!ALSO!HAVE!A!

HIGH!BLUE!AND!GREEN!WATER!FOOTPRINT,!BUT!LOW!

GREY!WATER!FOOTPRINT!


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!

!Figure'10:!check!out!the!water!footprint!of!your!daily!life!and!choose!poptions!for!reducing!it!30!

!

5.1.1.' What'do'you'wear?'Lower!water!consumption!can!be!achieved!at!the!

beginning! of! textile! production! chain! and!

depending! on! the! raw!material! used! for! the!manufacture! of! fibres,! as! well! as! using!

more!efficient!technologies!in!dyeing!and!finishing!manufactures.!.!Sometimes!we!buy!

too!many!clothes.!Why!should!we!have!four!pairs!of!jeans!if!we!can!live!only!with!two?!

Try!buying!less,!according!to!your!real!needs.!

5.1.2.' Which'transport'means?'It!is!more!efficient!to!use!bioUelectricity!or!bioUethanol!than!biodiesel.!Transport!per!train!

based!on!bioUelectricity! is!more!waterUefficient! than!transport!by!car!using!bioUethanol!

or! airplane! using! bioUethanol.! Therefore,! using! public! transport,! train! and! ship! for!

travelling,!instead!of!bioethanol!and!biofuel!vehicles!is!not!only!good!for!air!quality,!but!

could!reduce!the!water!footprint!for!36%!per!person!in!1!year.!!

!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!30!Source:!http://temp.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/InfoGraphics!

DO!YOU!KNOW!THAT?!!

REDUCING!WATER!USAGE!ALSO!HELPS!TO!PREVENT!

CLIMATE!CHANGE!

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Conclusions'There! is! a! generalized! lack! of! awareness! amongst! citizens! about! the! water! that! is!

required! and! polluted! to! produce! the! goods! they! consume.! Moreover,! there! is! a!

generalized!perception!our!personal!water!footprint! is!mostly!due!to!the!water!we!use!

at! home,! when! in! fact,! this! averagely! represents! only! around! 3%! of! our! total! water!

footprint.!!

While! international! action! is! therefore! necessary! and!welcome! to! improve!water! use!

efficiency,!what!we!do,!as!Europeans,!will!strongly!influence!the!success!of!any!policy.!

We!consume!on!average!far!more!water!than!in!most!other!parts!of!the!world,!and!our!

consumption!patterns,!our!diet,!our!energy!consumes,!our!clothes,!have!considerable!

impacts!on!global!water!use!and!the!related!discussed!issues.!So,!we!need!to!change!

our!consumption!behaviours!!

At!the!end!of!our!“AquaUpath”!we!know!that!the!Earth’s!water!is!finite,!but!it!is!infinitely!

renewable:!if!we!are!able!to!respect!its!finite!resources!with!our!lifestyle!we!can!make!

an!effective!footprint!for!the!sustainability!of!our!planet!!

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5.2.' AQUAWFESTIVAL:'Let’s'play'about'the'“AquaWPATH!!”'5.2.1.' Talking'water!'

We!prepare!a!cosy!space!with!tables,!some!chairs!and!posters!where!citizens,!children!

and! young! people! can! stop! and! leave! their! "footprint"! regarding! the! theme! of!water.!

Tools:!pencils,!markers,!coloured!paper,!tempera,!watercolours!and!adhesive!tape.!

The'voice'of'water.!We! invite!passersUby! to! close! their! eyes!and! think!of! the!water!under!whatsoever!form.!Then!we!ask!them!to!find!an!adjective,!a!sound,!a!smell!or!a!

place! inextricably! linked! to! water! and! to! draw! or! write! associated! terms! on! a! large!

waveUshaped!poster!lying!on!the!ground!or!hung!up!on!a!wall.!

Acrostics.!On!another!poster,!we!ask!passersUby!to!choose!one!of!the!words!they!can!find!on! the!poster! "the!voice!of!water",! to! reUwrite! it!vertically!and! then! to!compose!a!

sentence!by!using!words!beginning!with!the!letters!from!columns.!

Water'music.!We!fix!with!silicone!on!a!table!some!wine!glasses,!possibly!of!different!shapes.!We!fillUin!each!glass!with!different!amounts!of!water!and!we!invite!passersUby!

to!wet!the!tip!of!their!finger!and!continuously!slide!it!on!the!rim!of!the!glass,!making!a!

light!pressure.!Different!sounds!will!be!produced!and!it!will!be!possible!to!use!glasses!

as!musical!instruments!of!an!orchestra,!like!in!1700!when!a!musical!instrument,!the!soU

called!harmonic!crystal,!was!made!with!crystal!glasses.!

'5.2.2.' How'much'rain?'

We!set! in! the!city!a!stationing!for!setting!a!rain!gauge,!simply!made!of!reused!plastic!

bottles.!It!is!sufficient!to!cut!out!the!upper!part!of!a!bottle!with!a!scissors!so!as!to!obtain!

a!funnel!and!a!container.!!

We!put! the!funnel! into! the!container,!with!a!permanent!marker!and!with! the!help!of!a!

ruler! we! graduate! it! and! the! rain! gauge! is! ready!! You! can! leave! instructions! for! the!

construction!of!the!rain!gauge!drawn!on!a!panel!or!on!cards!and!foresee!a!poster!with!

some! information! for!citizens,!concerning,! for! instance,! the!availability!of!water! in! the!

world!and!the!data!of!the!average!annual!precipitation!in!our!area,!compared!with!other!

regions!worldwide.!

'5.2.3.' Check'out'your'footprint!'

You! reproduce! on! a! large! poster! all! questions! of! the! “Aquapass”Ubooklet! and! you!

distribute! paper! copies! of! it! to! citizens,! by! inviting! them! to! respond! to! the! shown!

questions!and!to!report!on!the!big!poster!their!answers!by!using!coloured!dots,!so!that!


!

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29!!

!

passersUby! can!easily! see!given!answers.! It! is! relevant! to!have!an!Aquapath!Project!

Expert,! able! to! give! information! on! water! footprint! and! readyUtoUuse! suggestions! on!

how! you! can! easily! reduce! your! water! footprint.! Set! up! two! locations:! the! first! one!

where! citizens! can! experiment! the! online! calculator,! the! second! one! with! some!

practical!experiences!to!be!tested.!For!example,!you!can!suggest!the!construction!of!a!

model! of! flow! reducer! made! of! plastic! cups,! perforated! in! the! same! position! by! a!

needle! and! an! awl,! respectively.! You! encourage! citizens! to! close! the! holes! with!

adhesive! paper! tape,! to! fillUin! the! glasses! of! water,! and,! stopwatch! ready,! to! rapidly!

remove! the! tape! and! measure! the! time! water! needs! to! fall! down! in! a! basin.! The!

“needlesUshower”!can!last!up!to!twice!longer!than!the!one!with!larger!holes.!In!order!to!

maintain!the!same!output!pressure,!despite!the!smaller!capacity,!filters!available!on!the!

market!not!only!break!up!the!water!into!tiny!particles!like!the!filter!made!of!needles!did,!

but!also!they!mixed! it!with!air!so!as!to!keep!the!water! flow!rich!and!comfortable.!The!

water! consumption! is! reduced! of! about! half! and! the! outflow! pressure! remains! the!

same,! despite! the! smaller! capacity.! Other! tests! can! be! suggested:! e.g.! citizens! can!

visualize! the! amount! of! water! used! for! brushing! teeth! or! hands,! whether! the! tap! is!

closed!or!not,!or!else!the!quantity!of!water!contained!in!toilet!flushes.!

'5.2.4.' Water'hunt!'

Organize!an!outdoors!teamUbased!treasure!hunt!with!tests!and!riddles!on!the!theme!of!

water.! You! need! to! foresee! some! tests! of! general! knowledge,! other! specific! on! the!

theme!of!water! footprint,!other! involving!passersUby!with! interviews,!or!contributing! to!

the!creation!of!a!large!installation!on!one!of!the!project!themes,!in!order!to!give!visibility!

to!the!event.!Teams!can!start!at!the!same!time!or!staggered.!At!the!end!of!the!treasure!

hunt,! the! teams!who!answered!correctly!all!questions!and! in! the!shortest! time!will!be!

rewarded! with! a! symbolic! prize! such! as! waterUsaving! filters! and! fruits! or! vegetables!

with!labels!showing!their!water!footprint!will!be!distributed!to!all!participants.!!

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6.' REFERENCES'

6.1.' Publications'•! The! Water! Footprint! Assessment! Manual,! Arjen! Y.! Hoekstra,! Ashok! K.! Chapagain,! Maite! M.!

Aldaya!and!Mesfin!M.!Mekonnen!–!2011!•! Gleick,!P!H.,!1996:!Water!resources.!(In!Encyclopaedia!of!Climate!and!Weather!•! Hoekstra,!A.Y.!and!Mekonnen,!M.M.!(2012)!The!water!footprint!of!humanity,!Proceedings!of!the!

National!Academy!of!Sciences,!109(9):!3232–3237!•! The! water! needed! for! Italians! to! eat! pasta! and! pizza,! M.M.! Aldaya! *,! A.Y.! Hoekstra,! Twente!

Water! Centre,! University! of! Twente,! 7500! AE! Enschede,! The! Netherlands!http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/AldayaUHoekstraU2010_1.pdf!!

•! Hoekstra,!Van!Oel,!P.R.!and!Hoekstra,!A.Y.!(2010)!The!green!and!blue!water!footprint!of!paper!products:! methodological! considerations! and! quantification,! Value! of! Water! Research! Report!Series!No.46,!UNESCOUIHE,!Delft,!the!Netherlands!

•! Virtual!Water!U!the!Water,!Food,!and!Trade!Nexus'W'Useful!Concept!or!Misleading!Metaphor?'by!J.A.! (Tony)! Allan,! SOAS/King’s! College! London,!Water! Research!Group,'The!Strand,! London,!United!Kingdom!https://www.soas.ac.uk/water/publications/papers/file38394.pdf!

6.2.' LINKS'6.2.1.! What!the!water!footprint!is?!http://www.angelamorelli.com/water/!6.2.1.1.! Graphs!of!WFN!http://temp.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/InfoGraphics!!6.2.1.2.! Interactive!tool!of!WFN:!http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactiveUtools/waterU

footprintUassessmentUtool/!!6.2.1.3.! National!WF:!play!with!the!WF!explorer!tool!!

http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactiveUtools/nationalUwaterUfootprintUexplorer/!6.2.1.4.! Water!scarcity!www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=8&secNum=5!6.2.2.! Water!sustainability!6.2.2.1.! www.unep.org/water!6.2.2.2.! Water!availability!http://www.theguardian.com/globalUdevelopmentUprofessionalsU

network/2015/jul/01/globalUaccessUcleanUwaterUsanitationUmapped!6.2.2.3.! Water!scarcity!http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml!!6.2.2.4.! The!shrinking!of!the!Aral!Sea!http://reconsideringrussia.org/2014/08/15/aUguideUtoUtheU

stansUofUcentralUasia/aralUsea/!6.2.3.! Dietary!habits!6.2.3.1.! Interactive!Tool!of!WFN:!http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactiveUtools/productU

gallery/!!6.2.3.2.! Virtual!Water:!http://www.angelamorelli.com/1/?projects=virtualUwaterUcommunicatingU

waterUscienceUonUtv!!6.2.3.3.! Textiles:!http://www.sewyourselfsilly.com.au/news/waterUfootprintUhowUtheUfashionU

industryUandUyourUshoppingUimpactUtheUplanet/!!6.2.4.! Tips!and!tricks:!how!to!assess!your!WF?!6.2.4.1.! WF!Label!http://www.theguardian.com/sustainableUbusiness/waterUfootprintUlabelsU

consumerUproducts!!6.2.4.2.! Vademecum:!http://temp.waterfootprint.org/downloads/2010UPocketGuideU

toReducingYourWaterFootprint.jpg!!

6.3.' Videos'•! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zUiVl3JJRM!!•! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIJOOfOpUYs&index=7&list=PLHnzEAZ3lShlnekss0LWodXC

LcskhWDHY!•! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alUdoUHGuIk!!•! http://waterstink.com/tag/tonyUallan/!! !


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7.' GLOSSARY'A.! Accessible!water:!the!part!of!sweet!water!(0,3%)!readily!accessible!for!use!as!surface!water!in!

lakes,!swamps,!rivers!and!streams:!not!even!0,01%!of!the!global!world!water!!

B.! Blue!WF:!indicates!the!consumption!of!fresh!surface!or!ground!water,!!Blue!Gold:! it! is! a! term! to! identify!water,! as! it! is! getting!more!and!more! scarce!and! therefore,!precious!

C.! (Water)! cycle:! The! water! cycle! describes! the! existence! and! movement! of! water! on,! in,! and!above!the!Earth!(water)! consumption:! is! the! water! no! longer! available! because! it! has! evaporated,! been!transpired! by! plants,! incorporated! into! products! or! crops,! consumed! by! people! or! livestock,! or!

otherwise!removed!from!the!immediate!water!environment!

D.! Direct!WF:!indicates!the!amount!of!fresh!water!consumption!and!pollution!that! is!associated!to!the!water!used!by!the!consumer!or!producer,!!

Deforestation:! permanent! destruction! of! forests! in! order! to!make! the! land! available! for! other!uses,!having!a!major!impact!on!water!cycle!and!on!global!climate!change,!as!there!is!less!water!

evaporating!into!the!atmosphere!and!subsequently!less!rain!

E.! Eutrophication:!It! is! the!process!by!which!an!ecosystem!responds!to!the!addition!of!natural!or!artificial!substances!to!an!aquatic!system!Earth's!water:!it!is!always!in!movement!and!is!always!changing!states,!from!liquid!to!vapour!to!ice!and!back!again!!

F.! Fresh! water:! soUcalled! “sweet! water”! is! the! natural! water! on! earth’s! surface! apart! from! salt!water,!consisting!of!glaciers,!groundwater!and!surface!water.!It!is!2,5%!of!the!global!world!water!

G.! Green!WF:!fresh!water!from!precipitation!consumed!by!plants,!!Grey! WF:! fresh! water! consumed! to! assimilate! the! load! of! pollutants! based! on! natural!

background!concentrations!and!existing!ambient!water!quality!standards,!

H.! Hydroelectricity:!it!is!the!electricity!generated!by!hydropowerh!the!production!of!electrical!power!through!the!use!of!the!gravitational!force!of!falling!or!flowing!water!Habits:!what!we!should!pay!attention!to!in!order!to!reduce!our!WF!!Not!only!by!closing!tap!when!brushing!teeth!(12!litres!are!wasted!if!it!you!leave!it!running!),!but!also!our!dietary,!transportation!

and!living!habits!!

I.! Indirect!WF:! indicates! the!consumption!and!pollution!of! the! (virtual)!water!associated!with! the!

production!of!goods!and!services!consumed,!!

Irrigation:! It! is! an! artificial! watering! system! of! cultivated! land! that! does! not! get! enough!water!through!rainfall!

J.! Jeans:!a!pair!of!jeans!of!800!gram!costs!8.000!litres!!K.! Kilogram:!1kg!of!cotton!requires!10.000!litresh!1!kg!of!oranges!requires!100litres!L.! Litres!of!fresh!water!directly!consumed!per!person!per!day:!250!in!North!America,!100!U!230!in!

Europe,!less!than!10!in!SubUSaharan!Africa:!how!to!accept!those!inequalities?!


!

!


32!!

!

WF!labelling:!it!is!still!an!on!progress!idea:!every!product!could!indicate!its!blue,!green!and!grey!water!footprint,!so!that!consumer!could!be!more!aware!of!his!WF!

M.! !Meat:!Producing!1kg!of!beef!requires!15.000!litres!of!water,!while!1!kg!of!grain!1.500!N.! !National!WF:!is!the!WF!of!both!the!production!and!consumption!of!a!nation!!O.! Oceans:!covering!with!all!saline!waters!97.5%!of!the!earth!water!surfaces.!They!are!essential!for!

water!cycle!

P.! !(Water)!pollution:!has!considerable! impacts!on! the!environment!and!affects! the!availability!of!fresh! water:! half! of! the! hospital! beds! in! developing! countries! are! filled! by! people! affected! by!

diseases!caused!by!poor!water,!sanitation!and!hygiene!

Policies:!what!citizens!can!influence,!by!requiring!better!management!of!water!

Q.! Quality!and!Quantity!of!Water:!are!to!be!both!considered!to!define!the!water!footprint!R.! Rainfall:! impacted! by! climate! change! are! becoming! more! erratic,! putting! at! risk! especially!

regions!depending!on!rainfed!agriculture!Renewable:!water!is!finite!resource!but!infinitely!renewable!thanks!to!the!water!cycle!

S.! (Water)! sustainability:! fresh!water! is! a! finite! resource! and! its! consumption! needs! to! become!more!sustainable!worldwide,!!(Water)!scarcity:!As! far!as! the!global!population! increases,!consequently!water! resources!are!more! subjected! to! pollution! and! shortage! stress:! by! 2050! it! is! foreseen! that! 1.8! billion! people!

could!be!exposed!to!absolute!water!scarcity!!

T.! Tea:! it!has!a!high!WF!(a!cup!of! tea! requires!30! litres!of!water)!but!82%!green,!10%!blue,!and!“only”!8%!grey!WF!

Tap:! by! drinking! water! from! it,! not! only! you! are! sure! you! drink! a! wellU! controlled! highUquality!water,!but!also!you!save!1,39!L!per!litre!of!water!you!drink,!plus!a!lot!of!pollution!!!

U.! (Water)!use:!includes!water!withdrawal!and!water!consumption!V.! !Virtual!Water:!invisible!water!we!consume!every!day,!needed!to!produce!the!goods!we!use!and!

the!food!we!eat!Vulnerability!of!water!systems:!affects!the!impact!of!the!water!footprints!of!several!products!!

W.' !Water'footprint:!human!appropriation!of!fresh!water.!It!indicates!water!consumption'X.! XXL!=!US!and!European!WFh!XXS=!WF!of!developing!countries,!

X!year:!when! fresh!water!will!not!be!any! longer!available,!unless!we!change!our!consumption!patterns!!

Y.! You:!what!can!you!do!to!reduce!your!WF?!1)!Be!responsible!consumerh!2)!Not!exceed!meath!3)!Choose!the!meat!you!eath!4)!Do!not!waste!food!!

Z.! ZeroUcommaUthree:!the!quantity!of!available!freshUwater!on!the!global!Earth’s!water!!zero!kilometres:!buy!local!products,!usually!having!a!lower!water!impact!

(be)!zealous!!on!reducing!your!WF!and!help!your!family!and!friends!doing!the!same,!for!a!better!world!!

!

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