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

Author

Listed:
  • Iago Ferreiro-Crespo

    (Galician Water Research Center Foundation (Cetaqua Galicia), AquaHub—A Vila da Auga, Rúa José Villar Granjel 33, 15890 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
    CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

  • Pedro Villanueva-Rey

    (Galician Water Research Center Foundation (Cetaqua Galicia), AquaHub—A Vila da Auga, Rúa José Villar Granjel 33, 15890 Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

  • Mario Ruiz

    (Aigües de Barcelona, Empresa Metropolitana de Gestió del Cicle Integral de l’Aigua, S.A., General Batet 1-7, 08028 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Yago Lorenzo-Toja

    (Aquatec-Proyectos para el Sector del Agua, 28037 Madrid, Spain)

  • Gumersindo Feijoo

    (CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

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 m 3 , comprising 3,293,589 m 3 from blue water, 2,250,849 m 3 from green water, and 913,680 m 3 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Iago Ferreiro-Crespo & Pedro Villanueva-Rey & Mario Ruiz & Yago Lorenzo-Toja & Gumersindo Feijoo, 2025. "Regional Water Footprint for a Medium-Size City in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona: Gavà," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:5:p:2302-:d:1606756
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