Blue water footprint of the Czech Republic

Abstract

Water scarcity has been a serious concern as a global issue in various regions around the world. Located in the central Europe, the Czech Republic is also affected by the shortage of water. To improve the understanding of water use at a country level and identify the potential for optimal water management, this study investigated the internal blue water footprint of the Czech Republic from 2013 to 2017 and the national blue water footprint in 2017. Based on the existing method, treated water and water loss, as the water recharged to natural water supply, are considered as an offset of the water footprint. The results showed a slight increase in the internal blue water footprint in 2013 - 2017. The national blue water footprint showed that fossil fuel and paper are the two major imported commodities contributing to virtual water import, and wheat and beer are the major commodities contributing to virtual water export in 2017.