India has indeed been one of the largest exporters of virtual water in the world. Virtual water refers to the water embedded in the production of goods and services that are traded internationally. This concept highlights the hidden flow of water when products cross borders. For instance, exporting agricultural products like rice and wheat, which require significant amounts of water to grow, essentially means exporting the water used in their cultivation. But on the other hand, India's significant export of virtual water, especially through agricultural products, has put pressure on its water resources. Policies need to address: Encouraging water-efficient practices, crop diversification, and improved irrigation techniques, Implementing pricing mechanisms that reflect the true cost of water use, discouraging wasteful practices. Moreover, Enforcing regulations to protect water resources and prevent pollution from agricultural runoff. India's role as a major exporter of virtual water highlights the interconnectedness of global trade and water resources. Understanding and managing the relationship between virtual water and the water footprint is crucial for sustainable water management, ensuring that both local and global water resources are used efficiently and equitably.

Dr Saira Iqbal thank you for your contribution to the discussion

India has been a significant exporter of virtual water, impacting global water resources through virtual water trade. This trade affects the environment by influencing water consumption patterns and can influence a country's water footprint, which measures direct and indirect water use in production and consumption processes.

Dr Chuck A Arize thank you for your contribution to the discussion

India has been one of the largest exporters of virtual water, which refers to the water embedded in goods and services traded internationally. Virtual water trade can affect the environment by impacting water resources and sustainability in exporting and importing regions. It can lead to water scarcity in areas that export water-intensive products while benefiting regions with water abundance. The water footprint measures the total water used by a product or process, while virtual water trade reflects the indirect transfer of water resources through trade.

Dr Chuck A Arize thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Yes, India is a major virtual water exporter, contributing about 24% of the world's total virtual water trade. Virtual water is the water that's "hidden" in products like crops, livestock, machinery, and textiles, which require water to be produced. Cumulatively, India exported about 497 trillion litres of virtual water and imported about 238 trillion litres during these 10 years over which the study was conducted. The increase in net virtual water export has happened mostly after 1990, prior to which it was negligible. However, virtual water trade is not without its drawbacks. One of the main concerns is that it can lead to the depletion of water resources in regions where water-intensive crops are grown. This can have negative impacts on local communities, particularly those that rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. While virtual water and water footprint can both refer to the water used to produce an item, the water footprint concept can be applied more broadly. For instance, the virtual water content of a product is the total sum of the water used along value chain. Virtual water is the amount of water used to produce a product, while a water footprint is the total amount of water used by a person, community, or business. Both concepts are related to the sustainable use of water resources and can help to:

· Understand the role of agriculture in global water management

· Understand the role of trade in alleviating water poverty

· Show the link between food security and water security

Here are some more details about virtual water and water footprints:

· Virtual water

The amount of water used to produce, package, and ship a product. Virtual water is embedded in the product and can be traded between countries.

· Water footprint

Can be measured at the individual level, for a community, nation, or business. It can also be used to measure how much water is consumed or polluted in a river basin, region, or country.

· Water footprint components

A product's water footprint can be broken down into blue, green, and grey components.

· Water footprint sustainability

A product's water footprint can be assessed to determine if the production process is sustainable. Virtual water trade can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment, including:

· Water scarcity

Virtual water trade can lead to water scarcity in regions where water-intensive crops are grown. This can negatively impact local communities that rely on agriculture.

· Over-exploitation of rivers

Virtual water trade contributes to the over-exploitation of rivers. This is because consumers contribute to the use and overuse of water in areas far from where they live.

· Water stress

Virtual water trade can impact water stress patterns differently in developed and developing countries. It can ease local water stress in more developed countries, but exacerbate it in more developing ones.

· Water storage depletion

More watersheds are becoming vulnerable to water storage depletion under future climate trends.

Here are some other facts about India's virtual water trade:

· Major exports: India's largest virtual water exports are through oil, cereals, industrial products, and semi-luxury goods.

· Major export destinations: India's major export destinations are countries in Asia.

· Water scarcity: India is a water-scarce country, and all river basins with a population of more than 20 million experience water scarcity for a major part of the year.

· Net virtual water export: India's net virtual water export has increased mostly after 1990.

India has indeed been one of the largest exporters of virtual water in the world. Virtual water refers to the water embedded in the production of goods and services that are traded internationally. This concept highlights the hidden flow of water when products cross borders. From a negligible value of virtual water export until 1990, India's virtual water export has risen to 32 billion m3 in the period 1990–2018 which is about 1.6% of total available water. Similarly, virtual water export, in terms of water required for production, is about 10% in the year 2018. Irreversible loss of water resource of a populous and water stressed country like India will have large impacts on the water sustainability and thus on the global economy and food sustainability. Improved and efficient water management can help to delay the inevitable if net virtual water export continues. In a nutshell, India's net imported virtual water during this period was 237.21 trillion liters, while exported virtual water was close to 500 trillion litrers. Virtual water helps us realize how much water is needed to produce the goods we use and the food we eat. Water footprint is a popular method for demonstrating the total amount of water needed to produce a variety of goods and services.