Australian water scarcity factors published
Water scarcity characterisation factors for Australia have been developed and published in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. These are useful for conducting water footprints in the Australian context.
Quantifying the impacts of water consumption on available water resources forms one of the core indicators of many life cycle assessments (LCAs). Methods for measuring this impact have been under development for over a decade, with the Available Water Remaining (AWARE) method being the current consensus approach. Available characterisation factors rely on global databases, which are built from potentially inappropriate information. This analysis aims to develop AWARE factors specific to Australian basins using the most recent meteorological data and water consumption statistics available. Australian cotton cropping is used as a case study in the application of the newly developed characterisation factors, and a cotton-specifcspecific characterisation factor is developed.
To download the article, click here.