‘Water-Energy Nexus’ is broad label for a set of interactions caused when human start using water and energy. The nexus manifests itself in many ways, revealing substantial trade off and opportunity costs associated with it. Energy production in US and India requires more water than any other industry. Water with density 1000kg/cum requires substantial energy for lifting, transporting, heating and pressurizing.
A carbon footprint is a measurement of green house gases that an individual, organization, event, or product produces or services from ‘cradle to cart”. As of the year 2007, India’s per capita CO2 contribution and ratio of GDP to CO2 emission were reported as 1.2 tonnes/capita/year.
CFP could be considered as one of the tool for evaluating the energy efficiency of the water supply scheme.
CFP of the scheme = SUM of CFP of (source + transmission system + equipments + machineries + treatment + distribution) divided by total volume of water.
This may be arrived for new schemes right from inception stage and also for existing schemes by conducting a suitable energy audit and adoptive measures. In addition to other bench marking criteria for the schemes, CFP may also find a place in final decision making on the scheme and its alternatives.
It is possible to arrive at component wise carbon foot print of all activities, materials, equipments, systems goods and services involved in water supply scheme and its alternatives comparable.
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