In the Netherlands we use an average of about 2,300 m2 liters of water per person per year. This is twice the amount of water consumed by the average world citizen. And despite the fact that we live in a country with a lot of water, 89% of our water consumption comes from the products we import from all over the world. Water is a precious and finite resource that we must be careful with. With just a few adjustments you can reduce your water footprint and make a big difference.
What is a water footprint?
The water footprint, also called water footprint, is a unit of measure for the total use (and pollution) of fresh water for producing (or consuming) a product. Consumption across the entire production chain is measured. The water footprint is an indication of total water consumption and aims to make everyone aware of where most of our water consumption goes. The water footprint can give us insight into the amount of water we use, as a person, as a country and as a continent.
The total water footprint consists of three parts:
- Green water: comes from precipitation stored in the soil of the earth. Agriculture and horticulture in particular use green water.
- Blue water: comes from surface and groundwater. Intensive agriculture, industry and household consumption all have a blue water footprint.
- Gray water: the amount of fresh water needed to remove substances from polluted water in order to meet quality requirements.
The water cycle regulates the water supply on our planet. Water evaporates and accumulates in the form of clouds. It then falls as precipitation and is then evaporated again. This natural cycle can be (seriously) disrupted by humans, for example by irrigation of intensive agriculture. Water pollution and seasonality also play a role in the total water supply.
Personal water footprint
Your personal water footprint is the amount of water you use every day. Consider the direct use of water, such as when showering or drinking water. But also the indirect forms of water consumption, such as the amount of water needed to grow your food, produce your clothing and transport all these goods.
Water consumption is therefore not only determined by the water that comes from the tap, but especially by what comes from the ground, our food. Only 1% of water consumption in the Netherlands comes from household use such as showering, washing and drinking water. We are often unaware of the amount of water we use. The waterfootprint.org site contains calculators to calculate your own water footprint.
Reduce your footprint
The total world population is growing every day. This growth puts great pressure on the limited supply of water. We all use water, no one can live without it. Yet 900 million earthlings still do not have access to clean drinking water. In addition, 2.5 billion people lack sanitation. Nature cannot survive without fresh water. Marshes, lakes and forests need water, they directly care for our ecosystem. It is very important to use our water resources sparingly.
Our water footprint gives us insight into the relationship between our daily water consumption and the dehydration and pollution of water sources elsewhere in the world. Especially in those areas where many of our imported products come from. Almost all our products have a water footprint.
We can make a big difference by making relatively small adjustments in our daily lives. For example, the water footprint of 200 grams of beef is equal to 47 minutes of showering. Chicken meat has a four times lower water footprint than beef. The fact that beef has a higher water footprint is due to soy cultivation, which is used as animal feed. Vegetables have an even smaller water footprint. Another comparison: a cup of coffee uses 140 liters and a cup of tea uses 30 liters of water. Choices that we can make every day.
A few more tips that are easy to implement:
- Don’t waste food. Throwing away food is a direct waste of water used during the production process.
- Eat less meat. And eat meats with a lower water footprint.
- Install a water-saving toilet.
- Install a water-saving shower head.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
- Do not throw medications down the drain.
- Do not throw chemicals down the drain.
