64
M. D. Alba-Rodríguez et al.
In the particular case of Spain, the most arid country in the European Union, it
faces serious challenges in the management of water resources. Spain has one of the
largest WFs per inhabitant in the world, amounting to around 6700 L per inhabitant
per day. The agricultural sector represents about 80% of total use and the industrial
sector 15% of total water use [75].
In order to preserve the environment without damaging the economy of the agricultural sector, a more efficient allocation of water resources is necessary. In this
sense, WF analysis can facilitate efficient water allocation and investment, providing
a transparent framework for informing and optimizing water policy decisions.
At present, the socio-economic reality is globalized, where people think and act
globally without taking into account the particularities of each region or specific area.
In the face of this, there is local resistance. From the tensions generated between the
global and the local, emerges the concept of Glocalization, a phenomenon recognized
and summarized in the literature as “Thinking globally to act locally”. It is applied in
a variety of contexts, from politics to urban planning, environment, business, culture.
It consists of applying global concepts in local actions, [64]. Although efficiency in
water resources management is a global problem, the solutions are to be found at the
local level. Therefore, it is necessary to have indicators that allow us to know what the
starting situation is and to propose possible improvement actions. The WF appears
as a response to this need, assessing the water use of organizations, processes and
products, and providing quantitative and qualitative information that allows directing
efforts towards more sustainable and equitable use of freshwater.
The following sections explain the concepts of WF as an indicator of water
resource use; the budgeting system of the Andalusia construction cost database
(ACCD), a structure that allows the development of models for environmental impact
assessment.
1.1 Water Footprint
The WF is an indicator of water use that is measured in terms of the volume of
water consumed and/or polluted per unit of time (m
3 /year), it is a geographically and
temporally explicit indicator that includes both the direct and indirect use of water
for a process, product, consumer and/or producer taking into account all stages of
the life cycle. The early works of Lofting and McGauhey [43], calculated volumes
of “incorporated” or “embedded” water using input–output analysis [43]. But it was
in the early 1990s, that concepts such as water scarcity were developed [23], and J.
A. Allan introduced the concept of virtual water, used to calculate the trade balance
of a country or territory through its imports and exports [3–5].
The concept of WF was born in 2002, by Professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra, from the
University of Twente (Netherlands). Since then, different initiatives have emerged,
such as the Water Footprint Network (WFN) in 2008, and ISO 14,046 in 2014,
promoting the concept of HH. Its development and standardization came about as a
M. D. Alba-Rodríguez et al.
In the particular case of Spain, the most arid country in the European Union, it
faces serious challenges in the management of water resources. Spain has one of the
largest WFs per inhabitant in the world, amounting to around 6700 L per inhabitant
per day. The agricultural sector represents about 80% of total use and the industrial
sector 15% of total water use [75].
In order to preserve the environment without damaging the economy of the agricultural sector, a more efficient allocation of water resources is necessary. In this
sense, WF analysis can facilitate efficient water allocation and investment, providing
a transparent framework for informing and optimizing water policy decisions.
At present, the socio-economic reality is globalized, where people think and act
globally without taking into account the particularities of each region or specific area.
In the face of this, there is local resistance. From the tensions generated between the
global and the local, emerges the concept of Glocalization, a phenomenon recognized
and summarized in the literature as “Thinking globally to act locally”. It is applied in
a variety of contexts, from politics to urban planning, environment, business, culture.
It consists of applying global concepts in local actions, [64]. Although efficiency in
water resources management is a global problem, the solutions are to be found at the
local level. Therefore, it is necessary to have indicators that allow us to know what the
starting situation is and to propose possible improvement actions. The WF appears
as a response to this need, assessing the water use of organizations, processes and
products, and providing quantitative and qualitative information that allows directing
efforts towards more sustainable and equitable use of freshwater.
The following sections explain the concepts of WF as an indicator of water
resource use; the budgeting system of the Andalusia construction cost database
(ACCD), a structure that allows the development of models for environmental impact
assessment.
1.1 Water Footprint
The WF is an indicator of water use that is measured in terms of the volume of
water consumed and/or polluted per unit of time (m
3 /year), it is a geographically and
temporally explicit indicator that includes both the direct and indirect use of water
for a process, product, consumer and/or producer taking into account all stages of
the life cycle. The early works of Lofting and McGauhey [43], calculated volumes
of “incorporated” or “embedded” water using input–output analysis [43]. But it was
in the early 1990s, that concepts such as water scarcity were developed [23], and J.
A. Allan introduced the concept of virtual water, used to calculate the trade balance
of a country or territory through its imports and exports [3–5].
The concept of WF was born in 2002, by Professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra, from the
University of Twente (Netherlands). Since then, different initiatives have emerged,
such as the Water Footprint Network (WFN) in 2008, and ISO 14,046 in 2014,
promoting the concept of HH. Its development and standardization came about as a