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1. Definition
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Name
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WATER
CONSUMPTION BY SECTOR
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Brief
definition
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Annual
water consumption by domestic use, industry use, agriculture
use and other sectors expressed in cubic metres per
year and as a percentage of total water consumption.
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Unit of measure
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Cubic metres per year,
%
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2.
Position within the logical framework DPSIR
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Type
of Indicator
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Driving
Force
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3.
Target and political pertinence
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Objective
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The
purpose of this indicator is to monitor performance
of individual business sectors both as an absolute
value and as a percentage of total consumption. With
the aim to safeguard water resources, the indicator
is useful to identify which sector requires greater
attention and to develop measures for specific business
sectors as a benchmark for measuring future progress.
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Importance
with respect to desertification
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Water
is a renewable, but finite, resource, which is vital
for combating desertification and drought. A key sustainable
development objective is to safeguard the water resources
and ensure that the availability of affordable public
water supplies is provided in ways which protect the
environment. This objective requires a better water
management and specific measures for each sector.
This indicator provides information about efficient
ways of managing risk associated with drought, and
provides an economic perspective on the efficient
allocation of water between users.
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International
Conventions and agreements
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A
part the UNCCD, Article 130 of the Treaty on the European
Union (Maastricht, 1992) calls for prudent and rational
utilisation of natural resources. UN GEMS/Water introduces
a Global Environment Monitoring System for water.
UN EMINWA calls for an environmentally sound management
of inland waters. Action plan Mar del Plata (1977)
calls for sustainable use of water resources (UN Water
Conference). The Declaration of New Delhi calls for
provision of drinking water for all. IAP/WASAD gives
the FAO International Action Plan for Water use in
relation with Sustainable Agricultural Development.
Agenda
21 in many of its chapters, in particular Chapter
12 and 18, calls for policies and actions to improve
the management and use of water resources.
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Secondary objectives
of the indicator
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This indicator represents
a fundamental indicator for regional and national
decision- makers to improve sustainable uses of water
resources.
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4.
Methodological description and basic definitions
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Definitions
and basic concepts
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This
indicator measures the level of water use by different
sectors of the local economy and the share of water
use by each sector as a percentage of the total.
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Benchmarks
Indication of the values/ranges of value
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The
optimal use of renewable resources requires that human
use is not greater than the natural regeneration.
This information is measured by "exploitation
index" that is defined as withdrawal of conventional
freshwater resources (surface and groundwater) over
total renewable resources (expressed in %).
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Methods
of measurement
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To
obtain the absolute value, the indicator is computed
by calculating the level of water use by domestic,
industry, agriculture and other sectors (that includes
private and public services); to obtain the percentage
of total consumption by each sector the indicator
is computed by dividing the consumption of each sector
by the total water consumption.
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Limits
of the indicator
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The
indicator does not give information about the efficiency
of water use by each sector.
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Linkages
with other indicators
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The
indicator is linked with other indicators relating to water
and economy, such as Water
availability, Value
added by sector.
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5.
Evaluation of data needs and availability
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Data
required to calculate the indicator
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Consumption
of water by domestic use, industry use, agricultural
use and services; total water consumption.
|
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Data
sources
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National
data and estimates on water use are available from
national statistical offices and country publications
for many countries. At local level the data sources
are the institutions that manage the local hydrographic
basin.
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Availability
of data from national and international sources
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See
section Data sources. Apart from national statistical
agencies, the data at national level are also available
from Eurostat, FAO and OECD.
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6.
Institutions that have participated in developing the indicator
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Main
institutions responsible
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Other
contributing organizations
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Universities
of Basilicata, Lisbon, Murcia, Athens.
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7.
Additional information
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Bibliography
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www.ec.gc.ca/scip-pidd/english/indicatorInfo.cfm?
Indicatorname=20: Sustainable Community Indicators:
Index and Indicators
www.sustainable-cities.org
http://cwhweb.mcmaster.ca/cwsoe/documents/APP2.htm
: List of measures and Indicators used in Municipal
SoERs
www.oecd.org/env/efficiency;
Indicator sheets/ Interaction between consumption
and the environment; ENV/EPOCSE(98)2/FINAL
www.sustainableliving.org/appen-d.htm
: Indicators o sustainable development 1996 - Background
Paper
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Other
references
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Eurostat
(1997) Indicators of Sustainable Development. European
Comunities, Luxembourg
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Contacts Name and address
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University of Basilicata
Prof Giovanni Quaranta
email: quaranta@unibas.it
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