Economic analysis of water footprint for water management of rain-fed and irrigated almonds in Iran

Applying hydrological concepts, such as water footprint, economical water footprint, and virtual water trade is necassary to improve water resource management. This study considers the concepts of water footprint and economical water footprint to prioritize the cultivation of rain-fed and irrigated almonds in Iran during 2006-2016. The study results shows that the rain-fed average water footprint and economical water footprint are 9.2 m(3)kg(-1) and 2.88 m(3) per $, respectively, with 72% of the share being green water footprint, and 28% being grey. Irrigated almonds' water footprint and economical water footprint are 11.4 m(3)kg(-1) and 5.16 m(3) per $, with the share of green, blue, and grey water footprints being 19%, 71%, and 10%, respectively. The total Average water footprint (AWF) of almond production is 10167.3 MCM year(-1), 80% being irrigated and 20% being rain-fed. About 9343 MCM year(-1) of this amount is exported overseas as the virtual water trade. Increasing the yield of almonds in rainfed orchards improves the productivity of green water, and as a result, irrigated orchards will be reduced; therefore, the pressure on water resources will be reduced based on WF criteria. The results of this study demonstrate that due to water and soil limitations in Iran, the concepts of water footprint and economical water footprint provide useful information for the conservation and management of water resources in agriculture by combining local and regional data on water availability and scarcity.