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First International Conference on MOLDAVIAN RISKS – FROM ...

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<str<strong>on</strong>g>First</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Internati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>ference</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>MOLDAVIAN</strong> <strong>RISKS</strong> - <strong>FROM</strong> GLOBAL TO LOCAL SCALE<br />

16-19 May 2012, Bacau, Romania<br />

LINKING WATER ACCOUNTING TOOLS: WATER<br />

FOOTPRINT APPLICATION IN LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT<br />

Sim<strong>on</strong>a-Andreea Ene, Iulia Maria Comandaru, George Barjoveanu,<br />

Carmen Teodosiu<br />

Department of Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Engineering and Management, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and<br />

Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Protecti<strong>on</strong>,”Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania<br />

Corresp<strong>on</strong>ding author: George Barjoveanu, gb@ch.tuiasi.ro<br />

Abstract: Water accounting tools are urgently needed as supporting instruments for<br />

decisi<strong>on</strong> making processes in water resources management at river basin level to address<br />

both quantitative and qualitative aspects. This paper approaches two such accounting<br />

instruments that have received much attenti<strong>on</strong> in the scientific community in the recent<br />

years: life cycle assessment and water footprint. Most of the efforts for the development of<br />

these two tools as water resources management instruments have mainly been targeted<br />

towards c<strong>on</strong>ceptualizati<strong>on</strong>, but there is still a need to understands how they can be<br />

employed in practice various stakeholders. Furthermore, there is a necessity am<strong>on</strong>g<br />

businesses for an increased operati<strong>on</strong>al efficiency, sustainable manufacturing, and the<br />

identificati<strong>on</strong> of different water-related risks, which could be improved by using these two<br />

proposed instruments. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) takes into account the use of different<br />

types of natural resources and looks at different types of envir<strong>on</strong>mental impacts over the<br />

whole life cycle of various products. Unfortunately, water resources are viewed in most<br />

LCA studies merely as a transport medium for different other impact producers<br />

(pollutants) and do not take into account other aspects of water resources that are of high<br />

importance for water practiti<strong>on</strong>ers, like water availability. On the other side, the water<br />

footprint (WF), together with the other related instruments (i.e. ecological footprint, carb<strong>on</strong><br />

footprint and embodied energy studies) c<strong>on</strong>siders the perspective of <strong>on</strong>e particular resource<br />

or impact. From this point of view, it seems reas<strong>on</strong>able that the "footprints" to be<br />

c<strong>on</strong>sidered as indicators used in LCA and input-output impact studies. Linking these two<br />

types of instruments could be of great help in improving both assessment methods, the<br />

green, blue and grey WF of a product might be good indicators to assess the water related<br />

impacts in LCA studies. Another advantage of integrating the water footprints into LCA<br />

studies is that, they can be used to assess the water-related impacts (mostly availability<br />

issues) at local level, thus establishing the missing c<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong> between LCA and water<br />

resources management practice. C<strong>on</strong>clusively, WF accounting and sustainability<br />

assessment can provide to the LCA studies informati<strong>on</strong> as the evaluati<strong>on</strong> of a product WF<br />

might support the life cycle inventory for that product and the WF sustainability<br />

assessment might support the life cycle impact assessment. This work summarizes main<br />

findings of a literature review <strong>on</strong> methods to assess fresh water use in a life cycle<br />

assessment study. It provides LCA practiti<strong>on</strong>ers guidance in choosing an approach for<br />

c<strong>on</strong>ducting such studies given the current state-of-the-art. Finally, it outlines needs for<br />

further development in the methods currently available.<br />

Key words: impact assessment, life cycle assessment, water accounting tools, water footprint, water<br />

resources managemen<br />

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