APPLYING THE VIRTUAL WATER CONCEPT AT REGIONAL LEVEL: THE EXAMPLE OF THESSALY (GREECE)

摘要

The present study brings out the recent concepts of virtual water and virtual water trade, and applies the bottom-up approach for the estimation of regional virtual water trade balance. Thessaly, the principal agricultural region of Greece and the area that suffers the most from water-scarcity, is used as an example, where such estimation can serve as an alternative for water saving. The agricultural sector in Thessaly is responsible for 1,600 × 10~6 m~3 of water consumption per year, which equals Israel's annual water demand. The results of Thessaly's virtual water regarding main agricultural crops produced in 2005 showed that Thessaly exported 1,189 × 10~6 m~3, but imported 36 × 10~6 m~3 of virtual water in this year. Thus, Thessaly exploits its water resources, principally through agricultural activity, by producing and exporting agricultural products, mainly industrial crops and cereals, which require a lot of water in order to be produced, and imports goods fundamentally, arable crops, vegetables and olive groves, whose water needs are not so elevated. If Thessaly imported cotton instead of exporting it and produced more vegetables and arable crops, rather than importing them, the pressure on the water resources would have been reduced, at least by 34%. Thus, virtual water can serve as an alternative for water saving in regions such as Thessaly. However, to reach both significant water saving and environmental sustainability at the regional level, virtual water should be regarded in relation with the implementation of sustainable farming and sustainable water use.