IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecolec/v142y2017icp130-147.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are we in deep water? Water scarcity and its limits to economic growth

Author

Listed:
  • Distefano, Tiziano
  • Kelly, Scott

Abstract

Water is an important factor of production contributing both directly and indirectly to economic activity across all sectors and regions of the global economy. Water scarcity may therefore go beyond having important consequences for people, society and ecological systems but may also pose a threat to economic growth. Using the latest IPCC RCP projections and the OECD Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs) for population growth and economic output, we develop a multi-regional input-output model to estimate future demand for water resources across different countries and sectors of the global economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Distefano, Tiziano & Kelly, Scott, 2017. "Are we in deep water? Water scarcity and its limits to economic growth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 130-147.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:142:y:2017:i:c:p:130-147
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.06.019
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800916310795
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.06.019?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arjen Y. Hoekstra, 2014. "Water scarcity challenges to business," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(5), pages 318-320, May.
    2. Arjan De Koning & Gjalt Huppes & Sebastiaan Deetman & Arnold Tukker, 2016. "Scenarios for a 2 °C world: a trade-linked input--output model with high sector detail," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 301-317, April.
    3. Avraham Ebenstein, 2012. "The Consequences of Industrialization: Evidence from Water Pollution and Digestive Cancers in China," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 94(1), pages 186-201, February.
    4. Julie Rozenberg & Céline Guivarch & Robert Lempert & Stéphane Hallegatte, 2014. "Building SSPs for climate policy analysis: a scenario elicitation methodology to map the space of possible future challenges to mitigation and adaptation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 509-522, February.
    5. Faye Duchin & Stephen H. Levine, 2016. "Combining Multiregional Input-Output Analysis with a World Trade Model for Evaluating Scenarios for Sustainable Use of Global Resources, Part II: Implementation," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 20(4), pages 783-791, August.
    6. M. Antonelli & R. Roson & M. Sartori, 2012. "Systemic Input-Output Computation of Green and Blue Virtual Water ‘Flows’ with an Illustration for the Mediterranean Region," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(14), pages 4133-4146, November.
    7. Anne Owen & Kjartan Steen-Olsen & John Barrett & Thomas Wiedmann & Manfred Lenzen, 2014. "A Structural Decomposition Approach To Comparing Mrio Databases," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(3), pages 262-283, September.
    8. Kirsten Svenja Wiebe & Christian Lutz, 2012. "Consumer responsibilities of carbon emissions in a post-Kyoto regime until 2020," EcoMod2012 3798, EcoMod.
    9. Daniel Moran & Richard Wood, 2014. "Convergence Between The Eora, Wiod, Exiobase, And Openeu'S Consumption-Based Carbon Accounts," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(3), pages 245-261, September.
    10. Nebojsa Nakicenovic & Robert Lempert & Anthony Janetos, 2014. "A Framework for the Development of New Socio-economic Scenarios for Climate Change Research: Introductory Essay," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 351-361, February.
    11. Faye Duchin & Stephen H. Levine & Anders Hammer Strømman, 2016. "Combining Multiregional Input-Output Analysis with a World Trade Model for Evaluating Scenarios for Sustainable Use of Global Resources, Part I: Conceptual Framework," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 20(4), pages 775-782, August.
    12. A. Hoekstra & A. Chapagain, 2007. "Water footprints of nations: Water use by people as a function of their consumption pattern," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 21(1), pages 35-48, January.
    13. Lenzen, Manfred & Moran, Daniel & Bhaduri, Anik & Kanemoto, Keiichiro & Bekchanov, Maksud & Geschke, Arne & Foran, Barney, 2013. "International trade of scarce water," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 78-85.
    14. Wan, Liyang & Wang, Can & Cai, Wenjia, 2016. "Impacts on water consumption of power sector in major emitting economies under INDC and longer term mitigation scenarios: An input-output based hybrid approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 26-39.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rocco, Matteo V. & Guevara, Zeus & Heun, Matthew Kuperus, 2020. "Assessing energy and economic impacts of large-scale policy shocks based on Input-Output analysis: Application to Brexit," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    2. Rocco, Matteo V. & Casalegno, Andrea & Colombo, Emanuela, 2018. "Modelling road transport technologies in future scenarios: Theoretical comparison and application of Well-to-Wheels and Input-Output analyses," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 583-597.
    3. Dorninger, Christian & Hornborg, Alf & Abson, David J. & von Wehrden, Henrik & Schaffartzik, Anke & Giljum, Stefan & Engler, John-Oliver & Feller, Robert L. & Hubacek, Klaus & Wieland, Hanspeter, 2021. "Global patterns of ecologically unequal exchange: Implications for sustainability in the 21st century," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    4. Kirsten Svenja Wiebe & Eivind Lekve Bjelle & Johannes Többen & Richard Wood, 2018. "Implementing exogenous scenarios in a global MRIO model for the estimation of future environmental footprints," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, December.
    5. Rocco, Matteo V. & Golinucci, Nicolò & Ronco, Stefano M. & Colombo, Emanuela, 2020. "Fighting carbon leakage through consumption-based carbon emissions policies: Empirical analysis based on the World Trade Model with Bilateral Trades," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    6. Thomas Wiedmann, 2017. "An input–output virtual laboratory in practice – survey of uptake, usage and applications of the first operational IELab," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 296-312, April.
    7. Guangyao Deng & Liujuan Wang & Yanan Song, 2015. "Effect of Variation of Water-Use Efficiency on Structure of Virtual Water Trade - Analysis Based on Input–Output Model," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(8), pages 2947-2965, June.
    8. Eivind Lekve Bjelle & Johannes Többen & Konstantin Stadler & Thomas Kastner & Michaela C. Theurl & Karl-Heinz Erb & Kjartan-Steen Olsen & Kirsten S. Wiebe & Richard Wood, 2020. "Adding country resolution to EXIOBASE: impacts on land use embodied in trade," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-25, December.
    9. Dr. Markus Flaute & Dr. Christian Lutz & Martin Distelkamp, 2017. "Der Einsatz von MRIO zur Berechnung der Fußabdrücke von Nationen – eine Anwendung der EXIOBASE-Datenbank," GWS Discussion Paper Series 17-7, GWS - Institute of Economic Structures Research.
    10. Xinghua Fan & Xuxia Li & Jiuli Yin & Jiaochen Liang, 2019. "Temporal Characteristics and Spatial Homogeneity of Virtual Water Trade: A Complex Network Analysis," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 33(4), pages 1467-1480, March.
    11. Raul Munoz Castillo & Kuishuang Feng & Klaus Hubacek & Laixiang Sun & Joaquim Guilhoto & Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, 2017. "Uncovering the Green, Blue, and Grey Water Footprint and Virtual Water of Biofuel Production in Brazil: A Nexus Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-18, November.
    12. Wood, Richard & Neuhoff, Karsten & Moran, Dan & Simas, Moana & Grubb, Michael & Stadler, Konstantin, 2020. "The structure, drivers and policy implications of the European carbon footprint," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 20(sup1), pages 39-57.
    13. R. R. Weerasooriya & L. P. K. Liyanage & R. H. K. Rathnappriya & W. B. M. A. C. Bandara & T. A. N. T. Perera & M. H. J. P. Gunarathna & G. Y. Jayasinghe, 2021. "Industrial water conservation by water footprint and sustainable development goals: a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(9), pages 12661-12709, September.
    14. Hanspeter Wieland & Stefan Giljum & Nina Eisenmenger & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Martin Bruckner & Anke Schaffartzik & Anne Owen, 2020. "Supply versus use designs of environmental extensions in input–output analysis: Conceptual and empirical implications for the case of energy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(3), pages 548-563, June.
    15. Sylvain Weber & Reyer Gerlagh & Nicole A. Mathys & Daniel Moran, 2017. "CO2 embedded in trade: trends and fossil fuel drivers," Development Working Papers 413, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    16. Smetschka, Barbara & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Egger, Claudine & Haselsteiner, Edeltraud & Moran, Daniel & Gaube, Veronika, 2019. "Time Matters: The Carbon Footprint of Everyday Activities in Austria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-1.
    17. Anke Schaffartzik & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Nina Eisenmenger, 2015. "Raw Material Equivalents: The Challenges of Accounting for Sustainability in a Globalized World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-26, April.
    18. Ninpanit, Panittra & Malik, Arunima & Wakiyama, Takako & Geschke, Arne & Lenzen, Manfred, 2019. "Thailand’s energy-related carbon dioxide emissions from production-based and consumption-based perspectives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    19. Han, M.Y. & Chen, G.Q. & Mustafa, M.T. & Hayat, T. & Shao, Ling & Li, J.S. & Xia, X.H. & Ji, Xi, 2015. "Embodied water for urban economy: A three-scale input–output analysis for Beijing 2010," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 318(C), pages 19-25.
    20. Dietzenbacher, Erik & Kulionis, Viktoras & Capurro, Filippo, 2020. "Measuring the effects of energy transition: A structural decomposition analysis of the change in renewable energy use between 2000 and 2014," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Water scarcity; Multi-regional input-output model; Climate change; Scenarios; Supply chains; Virtual water;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C67 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Input-Output Models
    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q47 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy Forecasting
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:142:y:2017:i:c:p:130-147. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolecon .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.