The Role of Import and Export of Major Crop Productions in Virtual Water Trade and Water Footprint in Agricultural sector of Iran

In this article, the role of imports and exports of major agricultural products on amount of virtual water trade, net virtual water import (NVWI), and country water indices included water footprint (WF), water scarcity (WS), water dependency (WD), and water self-sufficiency (WSS) in agricultural sector was studied for a five-year period (1388- 1384). The results show that the volume of imported virtual water to Iran during the mentioned period for 16 major crops was three times more than the volume of exported virtual water for 16 major crops (about 125.8 and 37.9 billion cubic meters, respectively). This means that the NVWI in this period was positive. It is noted that sever increasing in positive NVWI in the two last years of this period has been accrued due to population increasing and drought events in most provinces of the country. Also, Annual meanly country water footprint in agricultural sector is 104.8 billion cubic meters in this period and with average annual 17.6 billion cubic meters through NVWI, Iran has been saved the same amount of its internal water resourecs. Calculated indices of WS, WD and WSS in Iran showed that the average annual intensity of water use in agricultural sector in the mentioned period has been 67.1% which is high (WS index close to 100). Average annual country's agricultural dependency on imports of virtual water (WD) has been 16.8%. This percentage indicates that if the country instead of importing agricultural products, produce those amount into country, an average of about 16.8% should be added to the water consumption in the agricultural sector. Also, average annual Iran's selfsufficiency to water (WSS) has been estimated about 83.2%.