Wasting water

A study just released by the German branch of the environmental organization World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says that people living in Germany use nearly 160 billion cubic meters (42.2 trillion gallons) of water each year. However, not quite half of that, about 79.5 billion cubic meters, is water that is not consumed directly, but "virtually", i.e. in the production of agricultural and industrial goods the country imports.

While direct consumption of water has decreased significantly to 124 liters per person per day in Germany, the indirect consumption now stands at around 5.288 liters per person per day, according to the study. That's the amount one person would use to take 25 baths in a single day.

This "virtual" water is used, evaporates, or is polluted during the production of goods consumed in Germany. It is water used to cultivate and transport everything from coffee to cotton, meat, nuts and grapes from abroad, for example.

The virtual water required to make one cup of coffee translates into 140 liters, the taz daily paper noted.

Food makes up the lion's share

The WWF says imported goods with the largest water footprint are coffee, cocoa, oil seeds, cotton, pork meat, soy beans and beef, in that order.

"The lion's share of water consumption is found in the food production process," said Dorothea August, who oversaw the WWF study. "The water is used to produce the food goods in very dry regions, which are then exported to Germany."

Germany imports virtual water primarily from Brazil, the Ivory Coast and France. It consumes, for instance, 5.7 billion cubic meters of virtual water from Brazil via the coffee beans, soy and meat it imports. Turkey exports 1.9 billion cubic meters of water to Germany by way of cotton, nuts and grapes. A similar amount comes from Spain.

Disturbed eco-systems

The effects for the "exporting" countries, however, can be devastating, said WWF's August. Take green beans cultivated in Kenya near the Mara River, for example, which can ultimately put eco-systems at risk.

"In the Mara River basin, the cultivation of the beans in an area of 500 to 700 hectares (1,235 to 1,729 acres) robs the river of water - water that is essential for the migration of millions of animals across the Seregenti Plain in neighboring Tanzania. Water needed for the cultivation of beans 80 kilometers to the north could mean a shortage for the animals once they reach the river," August said.

According to the WWF, other types of water resource management, such as flood irrigation, are also problematic. The large amounts of water allowed to flow on to fields for crop cultivation often do not benefit plants because the water evaporates. Using pipes to irrigate the roots of crops is more efficient, as is the use of cisterns and underground storage tanks that can collect rain water to be used during droughts.

Martin Geiger, director of WWF Germany's Freshwater Program, said that West European importers should also be vigilant about the responsible use of "virtual" water. Adidas, Peek & Cloppenburg and other such textiles sellers should know where the cotton used in their products orginates.

"If the companies…realize there are conflicts over water in certain regions, then perhaps they could have an impact on their suppliers, so that cotton could be cultivated more efficiently, with less water and fewer pesticides," Geiger said.

Geiger said the agricultural sector had the largest water footprint - making up 73 percent of consumption, or 117.6 billion cubic meters. The industrial sector used 36.4 billion cubic meters of water, and private households 5.5 billion cubic meters.

According to WWF, Germany is in the upper third of water consumers among European countries.

Author: Michael Braun (als)

Editor: Susan Houlton