Efficiency, equity and effect: Virtual water consumption characters and sustainable consumption on diet

Abstract

The scarcity of water is the key factor which restricted the growth of social-economy. The virtual water theory provides a new way to solve the problem of water scarcity. In this thesis, we have calculated the virtual water consumption of each household grouped by income in the cities of Gansu in 1992-2005 after introduced the virtual water theory and calculations briefly. Then we advanced the indicator of virtual water per unit of consumption expenditure to analyze the efficiency of virtual water consumption. Additionally, we also used the diversity theory advanced by Ulanowicz, broadly employed by the ecologists and the biologists, to analyze the characters of virtual water consumption. Finally, we improve the Gini coefficient to get a virtual water inequality index to measure the distinction of each group's virtual water consumption. After all, from this study we can find the way of saving water, in the view of virtual water, through changing the structure and pattern of consumption for increasing the consumption diversity but degrade the quality of living and reduced the demand of living. This suggestion is more important to Gansu in which the problem of water scarcity becomes more seriously. The consumption, for the role of guiding the production, is more important. The unsustainable consumption pattern, especially in the developing country, is the main factor causing the deterioration of the world environment. The sustainable consumption is an important aspect of developing human-being and building the ecological economics.