Water footprints measure the amount of water consumed or applied in the production of a good or service. A single cup of coffee, for example, has a water foot print of 140 liters of water. The concept is widely publicized and is now beginning to influence government policy. But according Dennis Wichelns, professor at the Institute of Water Policy National University of Singapore, that is a mistake. The problem, he argues, is that this measure looks only at the water input for particular products, and takes no account of other factors that may be more relevant to sustainable resource use. In a humid regions with lots of rainfall, for instance, the water footprint of an activity might not matter at all.

For more information, see Dennis Wicheln's publication "Assessing Water Footprints Will Not Be Helpful in Improving Water Management or Ensuring Food Security" at [ Ссылка ]

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