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Similar to carbon footprint, water footprint is the amount of freshwater consumed by individuals, communities, or companies.
A water footprint is measured by dividing the amount of water used during a period of time by the amount that became polluted.
The water footprint concept was introduced in 2002 by AY Hoekstra, from UNESCO-IHE, as an alternative indicator of water use, with demarcations of green, blue and grey.
A green water footprint denotes water from precipitation that is stored in the root zone of the soil and evaporated, transpired, or incorporated by plants.
A blue water footprint is water sourced from a surface or groundwater resource and is either used in a product or taken from one body of water and returned to another.
A grey water footprint is the amount of freshwater required to assimilate pollutants to meet specific water quality standards. It is associated with the production of goods and services.
In India, water is pumped up for agricultural use at a higher rate than it can be replenished, leading to groundwater levels plummeting alarmingly.
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