The agricultural water footprint and assessment of virtual water trade: Does Serbia import or export water?

Abstract

Limited water resources, an increase in water demand and a changing climate triggered the development of new concepts for assessment of water demand and water consumption locally and globally. The newest concepts that successfully tackle this issue are water footprint and virtual water trade. Aims of this study are: (1) to define specific water demand for the most important agricultural products in the international trade of the Republic of Serbia, (2) to assess possibilities of an increase in water productivity for those products, and (3) to assess sustainability of water resources in Serbia, based on the ratio of import/export during virtual water trade. Specific water demand for wheat, maize, sunflower, sugar beet and soya bean has been calculated and compared with specific water demand in other countries. Results prove that water productivity can be improved by, for example, using other varieties of crops or modifying cultivation technology. The ratio of imported/exported virtual water quantities for the periods 1995-1999 and 2010- 2013 in Serbia shows that more water was exported than imported. Sustainability of water resources in Serbia will not be endangered even if the export of agricultural products is increased.

Keywords

• specific water demand
• virtual water trade
• agricultural products
• water productivity