WATER

Virtual Water Trade: The Hidden Flow of Global Water Resources

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A conceptual illustration of the virtual water trade, featuring a world map with arrows representing trade flows of goods like almonds, cotton, and rice. Visuals of water droplets accompany the arrows, symbolizing the hidden water used in production. Regions like California and Uzbekistan are highlighted, with a background transitioning between cracked earth and lush fields, illustrating water scarcity contrasts.

Water, one of the planet’s most vital resources, is often consumed far beyond what we see. The concept of “virtual water trade” reveals the staggering amount of water embedded in the global exchange of goods and services. From almonds in California to cotton in Uzbekistan, billions of liters of water are effectively transferred across borders, … Read more