title: Global impacts of energy demand on the freshwater resources of nations.
abstract: The growing geographic disconnect between consumption of goods, the extraction and processing of resources, and the environmental impacts associated with production activities makes it crucial to factor global trade into sustainability assessments. Using an empirically validated environmentally extended global trade model, we examine the relationship between two key resources underpinning economies and human well--being-energy and freshwater. A comparison of three energy sectors (petroleum, gas, and electricity) reveals that freshwater consumption associated with gas and electricity production is largely confined within the territorial boundaries where demand originates. This finding contrasts with petroleum, which exhibits a varying ratio of territorial to international freshwater consumption, depending on the origin of demand. For example, although the United States and China have similar demand associated with the petroleum sector, international freshwater consumption is three times higher for the former than the latter. Based on mapping patterns of freshwater consumption associated with energy sectors at subnational scales, our analysis also reveals concordance between pressure on freshwater resources associated with energy production and freshwater scarcity in a number of river basins globally. These energy-driven pressures on freshwater resources in areas distant from the origin of energy demand complicate the design of policy to ensure security of fresh water and energy supply. Although much of the debate around energy is focused on greenhouse gas emissions, our findings highlight the need to consider the full range of consequences of energy production when designing policy.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom; r.a.holland@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Robert Alan
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.affiliation: Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Kate A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Systems Research, University of Kassel, 34109 Kassel, Germany;
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flörke
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ewers
authors.affiliation: United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.affiliation: United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kapos
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muggeridge
authors.affiliation: United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom; School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jörn P W
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2834-6367
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Scharlemann
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eigenbrod
mesh_terms: D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004777:Environment; D005618:Fresh Water; D005843:Geography; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D007221:Industry; D010578:Petroleum; D011640:Public Policy; D045483:Rivers; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum
keywords: MRIO; energy; freshwater; nexus; sustainability