A Model for the Assessment of the Water Footprint …
63
LEED
Leadership in energy and environmental design
SUP
Supply prices
UP
Unit prices
WBS
Work-breakdown system
WF
Water footprint
WFblue
Blue water footprint
WFg
Water footprint of the garden
WFgreen Green water footprint
WFgrey
Grey water footprint
WFN
Water Footprint Network
1 Introduction
The valuation of energy, materials and water and their contribution to the well-being
of society is the basis of the current economic system. This makes it necessary to
include environmental indicators that allow the impact of any activity to be quantified,
thus using the environmental dimension to give a new sustainable approach to the
decision-making process in any productive sector. Specifically, according to [19],
the construction sector is responsible for 30% of energy consumption and around
40% of natural resources (including water and wood), and produces more than 30%
of greenhouse gas emissions.
It is possible to apply various methodologies such as energy analysis [53] and
material flow analysis [72], to the construction sector, but the current trend is to use
simpler methodologies so that society can easily understand them, and thus enhance
their transfer [12].
The Water Footprint Indicator (WF) was developed by Hoekstra [38], for the quantification of water consumed both directly and indirectly by a productive process.
Its use is recognized mainly in the sectors of livestock and agriculture, being
scarcely employed in the construction sector. Its application to the construction
sector will allow the quantification of water consumption associated with construction processes, thus providing an analysis tool to promote the conservation of water
resources in the sector.
According to [31], restoring natural water flows, improving water efficiency and
preventing pollution, are the strategies on which the current paradigm shift in urban
infrastructure and the urban water cycle is based. In order to achieve this new
paradigm, the objective is to reach the water balance of the cities [70], which makes it
necessary to naturalize the cities. To do this, consolidated areas will require the development of small green masses scattered around the urban environment, which will
favour the reduction of local temperatures, not only thanks to the presence of shade,
but also because most of the water consumed by plants evaporates, transpires and is
returned to the atmosphere, reducing environmental temperatures and incorporating
it back into the natural water cycle.
63
LEED
Leadership in energy and environmental design
SUP
Supply prices
UP
Unit prices
WBS
Work-breakdown system
WF
Water footprint
WFblue
Blue water footprint
WFg
Water footprint of the garden
WFgreen Green water footprint
WFgrey
Grey water footprint
WFN
Water Footprint Network
1 Introduction
The valuation of energy, materials and water and their contribution to the well-being
of society is the basis of the current economic system. This makes it necessary to
include environmental indicators that allow the impact of any activity to be quantified,
thus using the environmental dimension to give a new sustainable approach to the
decision-making process in any productive sector. Specifically, according to [19],
the construction sector is responsible for 30% of energy consumption and around
40% of natural resources (including water and wood), and produces more than 30%
of greenhouse gas emissions.
It is possible to apply various methodologies such as energy analysis [53] and
material flow analysis [72], to the construction sector, but the current trend is to use
simpler methodologies so that society can easily understand them, and thus enhance
their transfer [12].
The Water Footprint Indicator (WF) was developed by Hoekstra [38], for the quantification of water consumed both directly and indirectly by a productive process.
Its use is recognized mainly in the sectors of livestock and agriculture, being
scarcely employed in the construction sector. Its application to the construction
sector will allow the quantification of water consumption associated with construction processes, thus providing an analysis tool to promote the conservation of water
resources in the sector.
According to [31], restoring natural water flows, improving water efficiency and
preventing pollution, are the strategies on which the current paradigm shift in urban
infrastructure and the urban water cycle is based. In order to achieve this new
paradigm, the objective is to reach the water balance of the cities [70], which makes it
necessary to naturalize the cities. To do this, consolidated areas will require the development of small green masses scattered around the urban environment, which will
favour the reduction of local temperatures, not only thanks to the presence of shade,
but also because most of the water consumed by plants evaporates, transpires and is
returned to the atmosphere, reducing environmental temperatures and incorporating
it back into the natural water cycle.