Virtual Water Content (VWC)

Outline

• Three types of Virtual Water Content (VWC) data are available.

  • "Simulation 2015": The simulation results of Hanasaki (2016) and used in Dalin et al. (2016)

  • "Simulation 2011": The simulation results used in Dalin et al. (2012) and Konar et al. (2012)

  • "Simulation 2009": The simulation results of Hanasaki et al. (2010)

• Summary of simulations

• Disclaimer

  • I provide no guarantee whatsoever as to the accuracy of data.

• Data Format (common with three simulations)

• • The unit is kg/kg (i.e.the weight of water required to produce one kg of commodities).

  • I used the Gridded Population of the World Version 3 for administrative division (as of 2000).

  • The relationship among VWCs can be expressed as follows.

    • Total VWC= Green VWC + Blue VWC

    • Blue VWC = Blue water originates from river (RIV) + that from medium sized resevoirs (MSR) + that from non-local non-renewable blue water (NNBW)

Simulation 2015

• How to cite

  • Hanasaki, N. (2016), Estimating virtual water contents using a global hydrological model: Basis and applications, in Terrestrial Water Cycle and Climate Change: Natural and Human-Induced Impacts, edited by Q. Tang and T. Oki, Geophysical Monograph Series, American Geophysical Union.

• Data (Crops, national)

  1. Total VWC (vwc_tot_)

  2. Green VWC (vwc_grn_)

  3. Blue VWC (vwc_blu_)

• Data (Crops, national, but USA and China are state-/province-wise)

  1. Total VWC (vwc_tot_)

  2. Green VWC (vwc_grn_)

  3. Blue VWC (vwc_blu_)

• • Legend

    • The code for states of USA and provinces in China is available here.

    • For crops

• For livestock

Simulation 2012

• How to cite

• 1. Dalin, C., M. Konar, N. Hanasaki, A. Rinaldo, and I. Rodriguez-Iturbe (2012), Evolution of the global virtual water trade network, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 109(16), 5989-5994.

  2. Konar, M., C. Dalin, N. Hanasaki, A. Rinaldo, and I. Rodriguez-Iturbe (2012), Temporal dynamics of blue and green virtual water trade networks, Water Resour. Res., 48(7), W07509.

• Data (Crops)

  1. Total VWC (vwc_tot_)

  2. Green VWC (vwc_grn_)

  3. Blue VWC (vwc_blu_)

  4. Blue VWC originates from river (vwc_riv_)

  5. Blue VWC originates from medium sized reservoirs (vwc_msr_)

  6. Blue VWC originates from non-local non-renewable blue water (vwc_nnb_)

• Data (Livestock products)

  1. Total VWC (vwcltot_)

  2. Green VWC (vwclgrn_)

  3. Blue VWC (vwclblu_)

  4. Blue VWC originates from river (vwclriv_)

  5. Blue VWC originates from medium sized reservoirs (vwclmsr_)

  6. Blue VWC originates from non-local non-renewable blue water (vwclnnb_)

• • Legend

    • For crops

• For livestock

Simulation 2010

• How to cite

• 1. Hanasaki, N., T. Inuzuka, S. Kanae, and T. Oki (2010), An estimation of global virtual water flow and sources of water withdrawal for major crops and livestock products using a global hydrological model, J. Hydrol., 384(3-4), 232-244.

• Data (Crops)

  1. Total VWC (vwc_tot_)

  2. Green VWC (vwc_grn_)

  3. Blue VWC (vwc_blu_)

  4. Blue VWC originates from river (vwc_riv_)

  5. Blue VWC originates from medium sized reservoirs (vwc_msr_)

  6. Blue VWC originates from non-local non-renewable blue water (vwc_nnb_)

• • Legend

    • For crops