Abstract
This paper utilizes the virtual water concept to evaluate water usage of agricultural production in
West Texas. This work evaluates the measure of virtual water, as it relates to informing water policy
in a semi-arid, agriculture-intensive region, which relies upon a minimally renewable groundwater
resource. The results suggest that production in the region reflects a collective effort to capture
the highest value from the water resource, consistent with the virtual water philosophy, even
in the absence of specific water policy toward that goal. Additionally, this work takes advantage of
high resolution data to reinforce the need to calibrate virtual water calculations to account for regional
differences.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 27-36 |
Journal | Natural Resources |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 22 2015 |