Social intervention: the water footprint

By Maria Angella Fortich Fraija

The water footprint (HH) is an environmental indicator that measures the volume of fresh water used in the entire process of the production chain of a good or service. Its most important index is the total consumption of the countries and allows calculations of water consumption in the coming years.

Taking care of our water resources is fundamental, since water is an exhaustible resource that if we do not protect it correctly and it disappears, it would put the lives of all beings that inhabit the earth at risk. Join us to see what we can do to take care of it and how you can measure your impact.

How is the water footprint measured?

The water footprint can be measured for all types of consumption and situations, it can even identify the direct and indirect use and contamination of water . This concept became known in 2002, when Unesco worker Arjen Hoeskstra worked for Water Education. In 2008, after creating certain expectations on the subject, he decided to found The Water Footprint Network together with well-known people in the business and academic world.

The objective that she wanted to promote was to raise awareness about the volume of water that our production processes and our daily habits require . In the end, it is about promoting a sustainable and rational use , it is not about not using the resource, but about knowing how to use it and not waste it.

Types of water footprint

Green water footprint, refers to the rainwater and snow that is stored in the earth and evaporates or incorporates the plants. It is significant for agricultural and forestry products.

Blue water footprint , are the water resources coming from the surfaces or underground that evaporate during the production of a good that is incorporated into the sea. The domestic use of water is one of those that causes the blue water footprint the most.

Gray water footprint is the amount of fresh water required to dilute polluted water in the production process of goods and services until they meet a quality standard.

 Benefits of controlling your water footprint

Identifying your water footprint will allow you to define objectives, strategies and goals so that you have a more reasonable and conscious consumption . In the case of places, identifying the water footprint will serve as a tool for urban development towards a consistent model for climate change.

In companies, this tool strengthens corporate social responsibilities to generate commitment from employers to reduce their own climate impact.

Water footprint measurements

If you want to know what your water footprint is, click the following link and tell us in the comments.

Individual - http://caem.org.co/ConveniosCARCAEM/huellahidrica/#menu 

Family- https://huelladeciudades.com/AppHHCali/main.html#calcu 

But there are also four measurements to identify the water footprint on a larger scale:

1.   Total volume of consumption , this refers to the correlation between the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country and its water footprint. The larger the GDP, the larger its water footprint will be.
2.   Consumption patterns , the consumption habits of each person's products or goods require water for their preparation. This means that our water footprint depends on what we consume and if this consumption is done in the fashion industry it tends to be higher.
3.   Climate , this goes more towards the agricultural industry of each country and the dryness of the soil of the crops.
4.   Agricultural Practices , Countries that tend to have low agricultural yields tend to have a higher water footprint.

How to offset your water footprint?

To offset the water footprint, specific measures and policies must be applied to reduce consumption and contamination of fresh water . One initiative is to support technological projects whose purpose is to create a sustainable system of water consumption, for example, wastewater treatment plants.

Sustainable development is the key part of all these projects, also because they build a favorable impact on the environment in the long term and improve the quality of life of the communities closest to the water sources.

Tips to reduce your footprint

• · Try to shower in the shortest time possible and turn off the water while you soap up or put on your toiletries.
• Try to try a more sustainable diet with locally produced and seasonal products
• Reduce the consumption of red meat.
•  Support agriculture, livestock, local and sustainable fishing.
• We have to opt for conscious consumption and start managing our economy in a green or circular way.
• Encourage recycling, reuse and ecological consumption (if you want to know how we invite you to read our article " Recycling saves planet Earth ").
•  Digitize as much as possible to save paper and be part of law zero.

CABIFY and Saving The Amazon together for World Water Day

Next March 22 is World Water Day and many companies with social responsibility are going to launch initiatives to encourage us as a community to take care of water. One of them is Cabify, which with each journey that customers make will donate 1% to the planting of trees in the Vaupés River and will be encouraging care for the planting and conservation of Amazon trees.

For each tree that Cabify users contribute through the app, the company agrees to plant one more, and for their participation they will receive a certificate with the coordinates of the trees they helped to plant and the name of the indigenous community they led. the project.

At Saving The Amazon we are looking for new ways to create awareness and help the environment, that's why we joined Cabify and on March 22, 2022, with the code APORTOCONCABI, you will receive 1 trip with a 60% discount and at a maximum rate of $8,000 thousand Colombian pesos for your trips by vehicle, taxi or shipments.