The Domestic Water Footprint of the Inhabitants of Iași Municipality. Preliminary results
Keywords:
water footprint, sustainability, residential water usage, quantitative analysis, environmental awarenessAbstract
[EN]
The water footprint is an essential indicator reflecting water usage across human activities, encompassing blue, green, and grey footprints. It raises awareness of direct and indirect water consumption and its environmental impacts.
In our research, we developed a methodology based on bibliographic analysis, focusing specifically on the residential component of water usage. The results are based on average values of evaluated parameters, which provide suggestive insights. To gather data, we distributed a quantitative questionnaire to residents of the Iași metropolitan area. The preliminary findings, based on 175 anonymous responses, reveal an average water footprint of 7,999.277 liters per day per person. By comparison, the average daily water footprint is 3,397 liters globally, 3,287 liters in Europe and 4,627 liters in Romania. The highest footprint (11,536.22 liters per day) was found in Moara de Vânt-Țicău, while the lowest (6,293.57 liters per day) was in Centru. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between water consumption and various demographic, educational and social factors (for instance, higher water usage among more educated individuals could be attributed to their habits or social influences). The study faced limitations, including poor questionnaire response rates, age restrictions, partial water footprint analysis, and uneven neighborhood distribution.
This study emphasizes the importance of the water footprint as an indicator for assessing sustainable water consumption.
[FR]
L'empreinte hydrique est un indicateur essentiel reflétant l'utilisation de l'eau dans les activités humaines, englobant les empreintes bleue, verte et grise. Elle sensibilise à la consommation directe et indirecte d'eau ainsi qu'à ses impacts environnementaux.
Dans notre recherche, nous avons développé une méthodologie basée sur une analyse bibliographique, en nous concentrant spécifiquement sur la composante résidentielle de l'utilisation de l'eau. Les résultats sont basés sur des valeurs moyennes des paramètres évalués, fournissant ainsi des indications suggestives. Pour recueillir des données, nous avons distribué un questionnaire quantitatif aux résidents de la zone métropolitaine de Iași. Les résultats préliminaires, obtenus à partir de 175 réponses anonymes, révèlent une empreinte hydrique moyenne de 7 999,277 litres par jour et par personne. En comparaison, l'empreinte hydrique quotidienne moyenne est de 3 397 litres à l'échelle mondiale, 3 287 litres en Europe et 4 627 litres en Roumanie. La plus grande empreinte (11 536,22 litres par jour) a été trouvée à Moara de Vânt-Țicău, tandis que la plus faible (6 293,57 litres par jour) a été enregistrée à Centru. Des analyses statistiques ont été réalisées pour examiner la relation entre la consommation d'eau et divers facteurs démographiques, éducatifs et sociaux (par exemple, une consommation d'eau plus élevée chez les individus plus éduqués pourrait être attribuée à leurs habitudes ou à des influences sociales). L'étude a rencontré des limites, notamment de faibles taux de réponse aux questionnaires, des restrictions d'âge, une analyse partielle de l'empreinte hydrique et une distribution inégale des quartiers.
Cette étude souligne l'importance de l'empreinte hydrique en tant qu'indicateur pour évaluer la durabilité de la consommation d'eau.
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