BIOMASS HUB

The biofuel-water nexus is contributing to a growing uncertainty around fresh water access. International law and U.S. policies are emerging to ensure the sustainable use of water resources as a component of biofuel development.

Fresh water access is viewed as the next major resource conflict, following oil-related conflict in magnitude and prevalence.

“Peak water” — the notion that we have or will reach a point at which water demand exceeds the rate at which supply can be replenished — is viewed as inevitable given the current rate of extraction.  Water scarcity, population increases, and worsening pollution of fresh-water raise the prospect of future “water wars.”

Water shortages will be a major obstacle for biofuels to overcome, especially since the industry is already struggling to gain footing amidst food v. fuel and ILUC challenges.  The so-called biofuel-water nexus, although frequently discussed, often takes a back seat to the inimical effects of debate around food v. fuel and ILUC.

There are international and national components to the biofuel-water nexus.

International conflict and the need for international law

Water demand already exceeds supply in many parts of the world, and as the world population continues to increase, many more areas are expected to experience this imbalance in the near future.

The BBC provides a useful look into water “stress” throughout the world through 2070.  The constraint casts considerable uncertainty over the long-term biofuel story.

As the BBC profile shows, although fresh water is a renewable resource, the world’s supply of clean water is steadily decreasing.  Agriculture represents 70 percent of fresh water use worldwide.  According to Dr. Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute and one of the world’s preeminent water experts:

Humans already appropriate over 50% of all renewable and accessible fresh water flows, and yet billions still lack the most basic water services.

According to the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, roughly 1.2 billion people live in areas affected by water scarcity, where water resources are not enough to meet growing needs.  In many of these areas, food shortages are an immediate concern.  This leaves little room for dedicated energy crops, which justifies the growing emphasis on low-water-input biofuel crops.

Many fresh water resources around the world straddle international borders, or in some cases, even cross international borders (e.g. Nile and Bosphorus).  The 1997 UN Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses codified an international water law for shared rivers, stating that rivers must be used by their riparians in an equitable manner, and in particular that an upstream riparian must not do anything to the river that substantially changes or harms the downstream portion.

When it comes to energy, however, often anything goes.  The increased use of energy crops for biofuel will shape water geopolitics in the future.  A robust body of international law will need to be developed to simultaneously manage  increasing demand for water, energy, and food in order for biofuels to avoid becoming mired in further controversy.

U.S. biofuel policy raises questions about water shortages

Turning to the U.S., the issue of water scarcity is already raising major red flags for the biofuel industry, especially in the water-starved West where rights and access are fiercely protected (see Wading Through the Biomass Thirst Issue).

In Energy-Water Nexus: Many Uncertainties Remain about National and Regional Effects of Increased Biofuel Production on Water Resources, a report published by the U.S. GAO in November 2009, the “Congressional Watchdog” found that:

The extent to which increased biofuels production will affect the nation’s water resources depends on the type of feedstock selected and how and where it is grown.

The report suggests two major areas for further research, including:

1. Feedstock cultivation and biofuel conversion
2. Data on water resources

Increasingly, the water inputs of feedstocks are being scrutinized to ensure minimal impact on precious water resources.  On the cellulosic ethanol side, heavy emphasis on low-rainfall, fast-growing Miscanthus and Switchgrass feedstocks are gaining momentum as promising alternatives to first gen corn and soy.  The aviation sector is looking at jatropha and camelina, both of which are hardy crops that require little water (see One Billion Gallons in Camelina Biofuel by 2025).

For a brief overview of future resource conflicts related to biofuels, see Resource Wars: 3 Consraints That Could Make or Break Biofuels.

Image: Flickr/.SantiMB.