Virtual Water Content (VWC)

Outline

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

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

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

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

Summary of simulations

Important notice

    • 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

    • Citation

    1. 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.

    • Legend

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

For crops

For livestock

Simulation 2012

    • Citation

    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

    • Citation

    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