‘The Trade of Imbedded Water.’ Libya’s Virtual Water Trade
This blog aims to explore the idea of 'virtual water' and how it could circumvent the uneven distribution of water in Africa. I will focus on the Libyan Jamahiriya. I will explore how this water-scarce region benefits from this 'virtual' water flow and how it may overcome water and food scarcity.
As I have suggested in previous blogs, Africa's varying geologies, climates, and seasonality mean that freshwater distribution is highly uneven. Africa has an ample supply of water. Though, owing to the factors stated earlier, water is available in some areas but not others (de Wit and Stankiewicz 2006). Throughout this blog, I have assessed various hard engineering solutions like water transfer projects, desalination, and dams; however, all of these solutions appear ecologically and economically unsustainable. Rather than physically moving water to water scare regions, a better solution would be to send foodstuffs that require significant amounts of 'virtual water' (Allan 2003).
What is ‘virtual water’?
As you are probably aware, water is critical in agriculture in the form of irrigation. Therefore, water that is required to produce crops like grains or cereals is known as 'virtual water' or the embedded water (Merrett 2001). Allan (2003) estimated that 1,000 m3 of water is needed to produce a ton of grain. As one can imagine, in a country with limited water resources, producing crops like wheat may not seem viable owing to the extensive water requirements. Therefore trading ‘virtual water’ appears a useful solution for countries like Libya which sees <100mm of rainfall yearly. Even though Libya has one of the most sophisticated water transfer projects; the GMMR, over-reliance on groundwater for a demanding agriculture sector is hugely unsustainable (MacDonald et al. 2012; Quadri 2019; Davie 2002).
The role of ‘virtual water’ in Libya:
'Virtual water' is therefore paramount for Libya as it can import crops which require substantial amounts of water such as wheat, cereals and vegetables. By importing crops from countries with ample water supplies, overexploitation of water can be circumvented as domestic water is not being utilised for agriculture (Merret 2001). Data in table 1 shows that Libya’s self-sufficiency rates are much lower for crops that require significant amounts of water, such as wheat (Wheida and Verhoeven 2006). Henceforth, Libya continues to import a majority of its wheat supply from mainland Europe to utilise its limited water supply for households, industrial use and the production of less water-intensive produce like oil crops (USDA 2020). Hence, for Libya, importing 'virtual water' in the form of water-intensive crops has proved vital. It enables the country to sustain its food demands and utilise its limited water supplies where it is needed most (Allan 2003; 1974). So why can't all water-scarce countries import 'virtual water'? There a whole host of limitations for nations who rely on ‘virtual water’, here are just a few:
- Extensive capital is needed to purchase foodstuffs from foreign economies, often with heavy taxes, duties, and fees.
- Political tensions or sanctions could cause food supplies to be halted.
- Importing countries must pay whatever price exporters are charging (‘monopoly effect’).
- Domestic agricultural industries will likely become obsolete, as a majority of agriculture is outsourced.
- The transportation of foodstuffs has a significant ecological and carbon footprint.
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| Table 1: Domestic food production in the Libyan Jamahiriya (Wheida and Verhoeven 2006) |
In essence, 'virtual water' can prove an excellent solution for the problems I have elaborated in earlier blog posts. The overarching problem in Africa is that water is unevenly distributed, and therefore so is its food production. However, by importing food rather than producing it domestically, precious water supplies can be used elsewhere, easing the pressure for many water-scarce nations. Though exploiting ‘virtual water’ comes with a cost, and that is cold hard cash. Henceforth, it is likely that the most desperate regions will see little progress, as they happen to be the poorest as well.
I agree that virtual water could provide a great solution, and I enjoyed your evaluation at the end that although it could help, the poorest and most in-need nations may still suffer. I wonder when virtual water trading first came about? Is it a relatively recent idea, or has it been around for a very long time?
ReplyDeleteWell, water has always been in food, but I think its only been 30 odd years since Tony Allan spoke of it in a paper. Ever since he spoke of it, a lot more countries have become aware of its presence and are using it to their advantage. Perhaps it was used before Tony Allan spoke about it, but the 'virtual water' we know today is relatively recent.
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