Sammanfattning

The water footprint by the Water Footprint Network (WF) is an ambitious tool for measuring human appropriation and promoting sustainable use of fresh water. Using recent case studies and examples from water-abundant Fennoscandia, we consider whether it is an appropriate tool for evaluating the water use of forestry and forest-based products. We show that aggregating catchment level water consumption over a product life cycle does not consider fresh water as a renewable resource and is inconsistent with the principles of the hydrologic cycle. Currently, the WF assumes that all evapotranspiration (ET) from forests is a human appropriation of water although ET from managed forests in Fennoscandia is indistinguishable from that of unmanaged forests. We suggest that ET should not be included in the water footprint of rain-fed forestry and forest-based products. Tools for sustainable water management should always contextualize water use and water impacts with local water availability and environmental sensitivity.

Nyckelord

Environmental communication; Forests; Hydrologic cycle; Sustainability; Water footprint; Water use efficiency

Publicerad i

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2014, Volym: 43, nummer: 2, sidor: 244-256
Utgivare: SPRINGER

SLU författare

• Futter, Martyn

  • Institutionen för vatten och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Associerade SLU-program

SLU Future Forests


Globala målen

SDG6 Säkerställa tillgången till och en hållbar förvaltning av vatten och sanitet för alla
SDG12 Säkerställa hållbara konsumtions- och produktionsmönster


UKÄ forskningsämne

Miljövetenskap


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-013-0380-z

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/64215