Virtual Water by Stockholm Water Prize Laureate John A. Allan

The 2008 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate is John Anthony Allan, for his pioneering work in how understanding and communication of water issues are linked to agriculture, climate change, economics, and politics.

A professor at King’s College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies, Allan introduced the “virtual water” concept in 1993 to measure how much water is used to grow, package, and produce various commodities.

People do not only consume water when they drink it or take a shower. In 1993, Professor Allan, 71, strikingly demonstrated this by introducing the “virtual water” concept, which measures how water is embedded in the production and trade of food and consumer products.

• Behind that morning cup of coffee are 140 litres of water used to grow, produce, package and ship the beans. That is roughly the same amount of water used by an average person daily in England for drinking and household needs. 
  
• The ubiquitous hamburger needs an estimated 2,400 litres of water. Per capita, Americans consume around 6,800 litres of virtual water every day, over triple that of a Chinese person.

Virtual water has major impacts on global trade policy and research, especially in water-scarce regions, and has redefined discourse in water policy and management. By explaining how and why nations such as the US, Argentina and Brazil ‘export’ billions of litres of water each year, while others like Japan, Egypt and Italy ‘import’ billions, the virtual water concept has opened the door to more productive water use. National, regional and global water and food security, for example, can be enhanced when water intensive commodities are traded from places where they are economically viable to produce to places where they are not. While studying water scarcity in the Middle East, Professor Allan developed the theory of using virtual water import, via food, as an alternative water “source” to reduce pressure on the scarcely available domestic water resources there and in other water-short regions.

The relationship between the export and import of water-intensive products has “opened the door to more productive water use,” according to the Stockholm International Water Institute, which confers the prize. Thus, Allan proposes, importing food can reduce the pressure on scarce water supplies.

About Professor Allan

Promoting Smarter Water Decisions
As a scientist, educator and advisor, Professor Allan has built essential knowledge and communication tools for sustainable and efficient water resource management and policy. His research deploys a wide range of environmental, economic, social and political theory to give insights on global water resources and the extent to which they can be made sufficient to meet the needs of future populations. Because of his work, policy makers, scientists, water professionals and the general public have greater awareness of the role of water in the production of different types of products and its impact on global trade and economy. Virtual water remains a central and active component of scientific research and policy formulation, and has empowered individual consumers to affect water management on a global scale.

“Beyond the Box” Thinker
Professor Allan has furthermore developed the idea and terminology of “hydro-hegemony” and the “problemshed.” This work has led to better understanding of potential and real conflicts in transboundary regions such as the Nile Basin, where water resources are shared between countries, while providing perspective on economic and political processes that can make food and water security possible for all nations in such water basins. He remains a leading voice for sustainable water development and expert advisor on balancing population growth and increasing food demand in developing countries, institutional reform, valuing water, conflict resolution, and on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

A Lifetime of Achievement
Professor Allan has authored or edited seven books and has published over 100 papers in political science, natural resource management, and interdisciplinary water journals. He has also educated more than 1100 current or future water professionals. He has worked for over 35 years with the MENA region and has advised on joint management of shared water resources on every basin in the Middle East. He also served as editor for the scientific journal Water Policy and as a consultant for numerous governments, the World Bank and the European Union. His keen perceptions and scientific analysis have inspired new thinking on the spectrum of water challenges, and is described by many as one of the most influential thinkers in the global water sector today.

The Stockholm International Water Institute

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is a policy institute that seeks sustainable solutions to the world’s escalating water crisis. SIWI manages projects, synthesises research and publishes findings and recommendations on current and future water, environment, governance and human development issues.

SIWI serves as a platform for knowledge sharing and networking between the scientific, business, policy and civil society communities.

Stockholm International Water Institute 

The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award presented annually to an individual, organisation or institution for outstanding water -related activities. First presented in 1991, The Stockholm Water Prize is the world’s most prestigious prize for outstanding achievement in water-related activities. The annual prize, which includes a USD 150,000 award and a crystal sculpture, honours individuals, institutions or organisations whose work contributes broadly to the conservation and protection of water resources and to improved health of the planet’s inhabitants and ecosystems.

U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize The Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) is the most prestigious international youth award for high school water science research. www.wef.org/AboutWater/ForStudents/SJWP/

www.siwi.org