Muñoz, I. and Milà-i-Canals, Ll. and Fernández-Alba, A.R. (2010) Life Cycle Assessment of Water Supply Plans in Mediterranean Spain. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 14 (6). pp. 902-918. ISSN 10881980
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare the current water supply planning in Mediterranean Spain, the so-called AGUA Programme, with its predecessor, the Ebro river water transfer (ERWT). Whereas the ERWT was based on a single interbasin transfer, the AGUA Programme excludes new transfers and focuses instead on different types of resources, including seawater and brackish water desalination and wastewater reuse, among others. The study includes not only water supply but the whole anthropic cycle of water, from water abstraction to wastewater treatment. In addition to standard LCA impact categories, a specific impact category focusing on freshwater resources is included, which takes into account freshwater scarcity in the affected water catchments. In most impact categories the AGUA Programme obtains similar or even lower impact scores than ERWT. Concerning impacts on freshwater resources, the AGUA Programme obtains an impact score 49% lower than the ERWT. Although the current water planning appears to perform better in many impact categories than its predecessor, this study shows that water supply in Spanish Mediterranean regions is substantially increasing its energy intensity and that Mediterranean basins suffer a very high level of water stress due to increasing demand and limited resources.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | desalination; freshwater ecosystem impact; industrial ecology; life cycle impact assessment (LCIA); water footprint; water reuse |
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering |
| Depositing User: | José Ángel Gómez Martín |
| Date Deposited: | 15 May 2013 10:10 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Jun 2013 11:58 |
| URI: | http://eprints.imdea-agua.org:13000/id/eprint/163 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
