Virtual Water
What is Virtual Water?
The virtual-water content of a product is the freshwater “embodied” in the product, not in real sense, but in virtual sense. It refers to the volume of water consumed or polluted for producing the product, measured over its full production chain. If a nation exports/imports such a product, it exports/imports water in virtual form. For instance, an 8oz steak uses a staggering ~3,500 litres of virtual water. For more examples, refer to Water “Foodprint” in The Big Picture.
What’s the difference between Virtual Water & Water Footprint?
The ‘virtual-water content of a product’ is the same as ‘the water footprint of a product’, but the former refers to the water volume embodied in the product alone, while the latter term refers to that volume, but also to which sort of water is being used and to when and where that water is being used. The water footprint of a product is thus a multi-dimensional indicator, whereas virtual-water content refers to a volume alone.
