Carbon & Water Footprint of Oranges and Strawberries - SAI Platform

Federal Department of Economic Affairs FDEA
Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART
9 Appendix
9.1 Report: Review on the State of the Art to Quantify Water Use
1. Introduction
A literature review on the state of the art to quantify the water use (i.e. water footprint) has been
performed. For that, some of the established LCA methods (Ecological Scarcity Method 2006, ReCiPe
2008, Impact 2002 +, Eco-indicator 99, EDIP 1996, EDIP 2003, and CML 2001) as well as recent
LCA methods and other approaches were considered. The focus was put on the methodology. In the
present report the main findings of this literature review are summarised.
2. Methodology
The literature review has been performed using scientific papers, reports, books, posters, and websites.
Information on relevant definitions, LCI inputs and outputs, impact pathways, impact characterisation,
weighing and normalisation, and impact categories for the different methods was gathered.
3. Definitions in the context of water use
In-stream water use
Off-stream water withdrawal
In situ utilisation of water such as a dam for hydroelectric power or navigational transport
on a river (Owens, 2002). Other terms: In-stream use (Pfister et al., 2009).
Water removal from a natural water body or groundwater aquifer such as pumping
(Owens, 2002). Other terms: Off-stream use (Pfister et al., 2009).
Water release or return Water release after off-stream use to surface waters (Owens, 2002).
Water use
Water consumption
Water depletion
Degradative use
Green water
Off-stream use where water is released or returned to the original river basin. Downstream
users (humans, ecosystem) are not deprived from water volume (Owens, 2002). Other
terms: nonevaporative water use (Milà i Canals et al., 2009). Other definitions: Any
withdrawal of freshwater for production or consumption processes (Frischknecht et al.,
2009).
Off-stream use where water release or return does not occur (e.g. evaporation from a
reservoir, evaporation from irrigation, evaporation from thermal cooling, transfer out of
the natural river basin). Downstream users are deprived of some water (Owens, 2002).
Other terms: evaporative water use (Milà i Canals et al., 2009), consumptive use (Pfister
et al., 2009).
Water withdrawal from a water source that is not replenished or recharged at
approximately the same or greater rate than human withdrawal (Owens, 2002).
Quality change in water used and released back to the same watershed (Pfister et al.,
2009).
Rainwater that is stored in the soil as soil moisture (Hoekstra, 2008). Other definition:
Water stored as soil moisture and available for evaporation (Milà i Canals et al., 2009).
Blue water Surface and ground water (Hoekstra, 2008).
Gray water
Water resource types
Polluted water that associates with the production of all goods and services for the
individual or community (Hoekstra, 2008).
Flows (rainwater, river, lake), funds (aquifers), stocks (fossil water) (Milà i Canals et al.,
2009).
Natural sources Surface (lake, river), ground, brackish, sea, and rain water (Koehler, 2009).
Technical sources Tap water, reclaimed water (Koehler, 2009).
Carbon and Water Footprint of Oranges and Strawberries. A Literature Review. November 2009 34/76