Mapping Virtual Water Use in Canada’s Prairies: A Comparison between Prairie Virtual Water Demands and Renewable Supply
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Date
2014-06
Authors
Garcia, Gregory "Manny" Manuel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Canada is often perceived as a water-rich nation. However, in the prairie
provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, water is in lower supply. These
provinces are also home to about 85 percent of the country's agriculture, which
consumes the largest amount of water of any industry in the country. In this thesis, I
first analyze the water demands from potential evapotranspiration and virtual water
demands from nine of Canada's primary agricultural products (beef, pork, chicken,
wheat, canota, soy, oats, barley, and com). I subsequently compare these demands with
the renewable supplies of water from precipitation and streamflow to show that the
prairies are approaching on the maximum hydrologic capacity of their environment.
Description
66 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Geography and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Spring 2014.
Keywords
International water policy, Virtual water, Canada, Water policy, Trade, Water accounting, Agriculture