Virtual Water.

Virtual Water.

Is Japan importing water?
The answer may be yes and no.
We aren't importing water itself directly. (excluding the small amount of importation of foreign mineral water)
But we are importing it indirectly.

We import argicultural products.
And waters are consumed in farming.
We can save an amount of water which might have been used for farming the argicultural products which we are importing.
Thus, we are importing water virtually.
This is also applicable to other products we are importing, or exporting.

This idea was proposed by Prof. Anthony Allan of London University.

Generally, Argicultural products consumes more water than industrial products.
Japan is importing more virtual water than exporting it.
The amount of virtual water we are importing is 64 Billion metric tons per annum.
While the amount of water consumed in Japan is 87 Billion metric tons per annum, including 13 Billion metric tons per annum used for industry.

Japan is one of the rare countries which have abuntand water resources, and yet importing virtual water.

This will certainly lead to a disproportion of water resources in the world, and a war might be outbroken.
People were always disputing with water and food.