Work

Regional Water Footprint for a Medium-Size City in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona: Gavà

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Assessing water demand is essential for urban planning, aligning with socio-economic and climatic needs. The territorial water footprint identifies water requirements across sectors and detects sources of consumption. This aids in mitigating impacts and evaluating alternative water sources like reclaimed water. In Gavà, water impacts were assessed for residential, commercial, municipal, tourism, industrial, agricultural, and livestock sectors. The total water footprint is 6,458,118 m3, comprising 3,293,589 m3 from blue water, 2,250,849 m3 from green water, and 913,680 m3 from grey water. Agriculture (54.2%), residential (30.9%), and industrial activities (5.8%) are the main water footprint contributors. A key methodological advancement of this study is the refinement of grey water footprint calculations for livestock facilities within the RWF framework, allowing for a more precise assessment of their environmental impact. Integrating geographic information systems with land use mapping helps localize impacts, detect hotspots, and identify infrastructure improvement opportunities.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su17052302

Authors: Iago Ferreiro-Crespo, Pedro Villanueva-Rey, Mario Ruiz, Yago Lorenzo-Toja, Gumersindo Feijoo

Institutions: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Centro Tecnológico del Agua

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible consumption and production, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896