Water Scarcity in Vietnam: a Point of View on Virtual Water Perspective

This paper quantifies water consumption of Vietnam in agricultural products on virtual water perspective. The calculation of water footprint and virtual water in four major agricultural crops is first implemented for seven regions of the country. The domestic and international trades of virtual water are subsequently investigated to demonstrate the commodity and virtual water flows among regions. The analysis reveals that Mekong River Delta is an important exporter of virtual water in rice product for both domestic and international trades while Central Highland is the main virtual exporter in coffee. The paper also proposes a new water stress index such that it considers both direct and indirect water use given transboundary water resources. The proposed water stress index indicates the actual water scarcity in Vietnam in which the water-rich regions i.e. Red River Delta and Mekong River Delta are in severe water stress.