Calculating aspects of the national water footprint of the Maltese islands and analysing related economic implications

Abstract

Malta is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, with limited freshwater resources, semi-arid climatic conditions, and a high population density. The aim of this study is to analyse water use in the Maltese Islands, between 2009 - 2013, through the application of the water footprint (WF) concept. Aspects of the WF of national consumption were calculated, including (1) the total blue WF of national consumption; (2) internal and external WFs; (3) the virtual water balance; and (4) national virtual water dependency. The grey WF was excluded from this analysis. Particular emphasis was placed on the WF of agricultural products, as agriculture is the largest consumer of water, both nationally and internationally; in relation to this, the WFs of four domestically-produced crops were calculated. The study further considered the water-economy nexus, as well as the relationship between economic factors and WF, predominantly through the calculation of apparent water productivity. Results indicate that Malta is greatly dependent on imported virtual water (54-63% for blue water alone), and therefore has a positive virtual water balance, implying that the nation has "saved" water through its imports. Changes in the external WF were shown to be highly correlated with the effect of the 2009 economic recession on Malta's imports and exports. Analysed agricultural products were found to have consistently low apparent water productivity. Indeed, when considering the very limited contribution of agriculture to national GDP and from a solely water governance perspective, the sustainability of local agricultural activity is highly questionable. Given the insights derived from this study, it can be concluded that the WF provides a new perspective from which water usage and consumption in Malta can be evaluated, with utility for future water management in the country.