Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade
Cotton, the world's most widely cultivated fiber crop, is associated with a multitude of environmental impacts, particularly the intensive use of water resources. While previous studies have assessed cotton's water usage through the water footprint concept, they largely focused on spatial...
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Cleaner Production Letters |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666791624000204 |
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| author | Betelhem W. Demeke Lokendra S. Rathore Mesfin M. Mekonnen Wenfeng Liu |
| author_facet | Betelhem W. Demeke Lokendra S. Rathore Mesfin M. Mekonnen Wenfeng Liu |
| author_sort | Betelhem W. Demeke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cotton, the world's most widely cultivated fiber crop, is associated with a multitude of environmental impacts, particularly the intensive use of water resources. While previous studies have assessed cotton's water usage through the water footprint concept, they largely focused on spatial variability, leaving temporal dynamics and the issue of unsustainable water use underexplored. This global study addressed these gaps by examining both the spatial and temporal variability of cotton's water footprint and assessing the unsustainable water footprint over time. Additionally, it explored the potential of flax as a water-efficient alternative for fiber production. Using a global gridded crop model, the study simulated yield and water use of flax and cotton from 1972 to 2018 at 30 arcmin resolution. The results showed that the global average blue, green, and total water footprint of cotton decreased by 37%, 48%, and 43%, respectively, due to yield improvements driven by improved crop cultivars, fertilizers, and better water management practices, with climate playing a minor role in these reductions. Despite this, the total water footprint of cotton production increased by 5%, with the blue water footprint rising by 17%. Additionally, unsustainable blue water usage in cotton cultivation increased from 59.3 km³/y to 70.9 km³/y between 1972-1976 and 2014–2018, with 71.1% of the unsustainable water traded virtually. USA, Pakistan, and India accounted for over 60% of this unsustainable virtual water trade. Flax, with its substantially lower water footprint, emerged as a promising alternative to reduce water consumption in fiber production. These findings offer critical insights for formulating strategies to mitigate unsustainable water use in global fiber production. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0f96b6d53a174f8aa1fea1f347f89986 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2666-7916 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Cleaner Production Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-0f96b6d53a174f8aa1fea1f347f899862025-08-20T02:50:25ZengElsevierCleaner Production Letters2666-79162024-12-01710007410.1016/j.clpl.2024.100074Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and tradeBetelhem W. Demeke0Lokendra S. Rathore1Mesfin M. Mekonnen2Wenfeng Liu3Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama, AL, 35487, USA; Corresponding author.Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama, AL, 35487, USADepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama, AL, 35487, USA; Corresponding author.Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaCotton, the world's most widely cultivated fiber crop, is associated with a multitude of environmental impacts, particularly the intensive use of water resources. While previous studies have assessed cotton's water usage through the water footprint concept, they largely focused on spatial variability, leaving temporal dynamics and the issue of unsustainable water use underexplored. This global study addressed these gaps by examining both the spatial and temporal variability of cotton's water footprint and assessing the unsustainable water footprint over time. Additionally, it explored the potential of flax as a water-efficient alternative for fiber production. Using a global gridded crop model, the study simulated yield and water use of flax and cotton from 1972 to 2018 at 30 arcmin resolution. The results showed that the global average blue, green, and total water footprint of cotton decreased by 37%, 48%, and 43%, respectively, due to yield improvements driven by improved crop cultivars, fertilizers, and better water management practices, with climate playing a minor role in these reductions. Despite this, the total water footprint of cotton production increased by 5%, with the blue water footprint rising by 17%. Additionally, unsustainable blue water usage in cotton cultivation increased from 59.3 km³/y to 70.9 km³/y between 1972-1976 and 2014–2018, with 71.1% of the unsustainable water traded virtually. USA, Pakistan, and India accounted for over 60% of this unsustainable virtual water trade. Flax, with its substantially lower water footprint, emerged as a promising alternative to reduce water consumption in fiber production. These findings offer critical insights for formulating strategies to mitigate unsustainable water use in global fiber production.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666791624000204Water footprintVirtual water tradeSustainability |
| spellingShingle | Betelhem W. Demeke Lokendra S. Rathore Mesfin M. Mekonnen Wenfeng Liu Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade Cleaner Production Letters Water footprint Virtual water trade Sustainability |
| title | Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade |
| title_full | Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade |
| title_fullStr | Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade |
| title_short | Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade |
| title_sort | spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade |
| topic | Water footprint Virtual water trade Sustainability |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666791624000204 |
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