Pattern of Virtual Water Trade in the Economic Activities of Guilan Province: Application of an Extended Input-Output Table

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Authors

1 Department of Economics and Political science,Faculty of Economics, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran

2 Faculty of Economics, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran

3 Department of Economics and Political science, Faculty of Economics, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran

Abstract

One of the new approaches in the management of water resources is according to the principle of comparative advantage and trade in virtual water. This is based on the view that it can be considered a specialty area in which the water products and the products produced in wet areas, or imported from other countries, enter areas that are less water. In this study, the approach in Gilan Province has been studied. On this basis, the central question of this study would be what form the trade model of virtual water in this province takes and, in order to answer this question, an extended input-output table was used. Accordingly, the direct and total water consumption for 40 activities at the provincial level has been considered. The results showed that Guilan Province, with net exports of 636 and 811 million cubic meters of water at the level of economic activity and agriculture, respectively, has been a net exporter of virtual water, while the province's industries and mines have been net importers of virtual water. Based on the information obtained in this study, it is possible through a change in the composition of economic activity (to increase the proportion of activities with high added value and reduce the share of activities with the highest intensity of water use) to hold the added value of Guilan Province and establish an improved trade balance for water.

Keywords


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