The Water Impact Index: a simplified single-indicator approach for water footprinting
The Water Impact Index: a simplified single-indicator approach for water footprinting
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DOI：
10.1007/s11367-014-0732-3
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发表时间：
2014-06-01
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Aoustin, Emanuelle
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bayart, Jean-Baptiste;Worbe, Sebastien;Aoustin, Emanuelle
与气候变化相关的问题一起，改善水资源管理被认为是可持续发展的主要挑战之一。然而，仍然没有普遍接受的方法来衡量水的使用的可持续性，导致最近水足迹方法的扩散。本文提出的水影响指数旨在将数量、稀缺性和质量问题整合为一个单一指标，以评估因人类活动使用淡水而导致的环境可用水的减少。水影响指数遵循生命周期思维原则。对于每个单元过程，进行体积水平衡；跨越技术领域和环境边界的水流乘以水质指数和水资源短缺指数。该方法以米兰（意大利）目前的城市污水管理系统为例进行了说明。水影响指数与碳足迹相结合，向决策者介绍多重影响思维。将水影响指数与ReCiPe生命周期影响评估（LCIA）方法中与水相关的一组三个生命周期影响指标的结果进行进一步比较。现场用水是两种废水管理方案的水影响指数的主要贡献。排放更优质的水是支持包括污水处理厂在内的方案的主要驱动因素，而处理所消耗的能源和化学品增加了间接水足迹和碳足迹。三个中点指标的结果与水影响指数的趋势相似。本文提出了一种简化的水足迹单指标方法，综合了水足迹的数量、稀缺性和质量问题，这是更好地理解和评估人类活动对水资源的环境影响的第一步。污水处理厂降低了污水管理系统的水影响指数。这些结果与ReCiPe中与水相关的三个中点指标的剖面相一致。
Along with climate change-related issues, improved water management is recognized as one of the major challenges to sustainability. However, there are still no commonly accepted methods for measuring sustainability of water uses, resulting in a recent proliferation of water footprint methodologies. The Water Impact Index presented in this paper aims to integrate the issues of volume, scarcity and quality into a single indicator to assess the reduction of available water for the environment induced by freshwater uses for human activities.The Water Impact Index follows life cycle thinking principles. For each unit process, a volumetric water balance is performed; water flows crossing the boundaries between the techno-sphere and environment are multiplied by a water quality index and a water scarcity index. The methodology is illustrated on the current municipal wastewater management system of Milan (Italy). The Water Impact Index is combined with carbon footprint to introduce multi-impact thinking to decision makers. The Water Impact Index is further compared to results obtained using a set of three life cycle impact indicators related to water, from the ReCiPe life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodology.Onsite water use is the main contribution to the Water Impact Index for both wastewater management schemes. The release of better quality water is the main driver in favour of the scenario including a wastewater treatment plant, while the energy and chemicals consumed for the treatment increase the indirect water footprint and carbon footprint. Results obtained with the three midpoint indicators depict similar tendencies to the Water Impact Index.This paper presents a simplified single-indicator approach for water footprinting, integrating volume, scarcity and quality issues, representing an initial step toward a better understanding and assessment of the environmental impacts of human activities on water resources. The wastewater treatment plant reduces the Water Impact Index of the wastewater management system. These results are consistent with the profile of the three midpoint indicators related to water from ReCiPe.