The water footprint of a nation is defined as the total amount of water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the nation.
This publication, number 16 in the Value of Water Report Series of the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, is authored by A.Y. Hoekstra and A.K. Chapagain.
The PDF versions of Volume I (Main Report) [PDF format - 2.5 MB] and Volume II (Appendices) [PDF format - 1.4 MB] are available online.
For more information on the series and on the UNESCO-IHE Virtual Water Trade Research Programme, contact the Programme Coordinator, Prof. A. Hoekstra.

The Southern Africa FRIEND project provides a basis for hydrologists from within the region to participate actively in the IHP and a framework for a wide range of research. It has an important and continuing role in helping to improve the ability of national hydrological agencies in Southern Africa to manage their water resources in a more sustainable and effective way, which will in turn help to alleviate poverty.
This document describes the Phase II activities from 2000-2003.
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The Manual is an introduction to the principles underlying the integrated water resources management concept, focusing on the approaches and management tools that facilitate its application, taking into account the size of the territory, whether it be national and international basins or sub-basins of local interest.
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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme (IHP) have recently released a manual to answer the need to develop a novel environmental management approach within the context of Integrated Watershed Management (IWM).
The Manual follows on the Guidelines already published in 2002 by the same agencies, and focuses on the methodology and practical aspects of implementing ecohydrological and phytotechnological concepts in watershed management.
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The part of the African continent covered by the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) is one of the regions of the world where the scarcity of water resources, combined with poverty, can constitute a major obstacle to sustainable development. This study, carried out by the OSS, draws up a comparative assessment of the situation and an inventory of the problems and conflicts to be resolved by integrated water management. This new version updates and completes the first edition published by OSS and UNESCO in 1995.
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This monograph represents a major undertaking by hydrologists and hydrogeologists around the world. It represents a multicultural approach to groundwater resources and their use and aims to contribute to a better understanding of the crucial role played by groundwater resources in support of both the ecosystems and mankind.
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On 20 January, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura formally closed the International Year of Freshwater 2003 at Headquarters. UNESCO and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) collaborated and shared responsibilities in conducting the joint Secretariat for the Year and the vast range of activities that this entails. This 8-page document primarily summarizes UNESCO's involvement in the promotion and observance of the Year.
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