A Study about Water Footprint Evaluation of Industrial Sectors

Abstract

Water footprint means the direct and indirect water resource amount used for the life cycle of different goods, services and industries. In this study, the direct and indirect water resource consumption in industrial sectors were calculated by using water footprint evaluation method. As a result, agriculture and marine product industry takes part of 93% of whole water resource amount, showing the greatest amount of basic unit of water coefficient (637 m 3 /won) following by petroleum and cool products industry of about 13 m 3 /won. In the agriculture and marine product industry, the direct water consumption was only 25 billion m 3 compared to the indirect water, which is 130 billion m 3 . The next highest industry was chemical product industry, which consists of 2 billion m 3 of the direct water and 4.5 billion m 3 of the indirect water consumption. In case of industries which have high direct water, it would be more effective to reduce amount of water related to the industry than to reduce water in actual process. This water footprint of each industry and evaluation method will be useful tool and method for development of national water management policy and regulation.