BIOMASS HUB

A new discussion paper form the IUCN prepared for the Winrock International India 7th Conference on biofuels examines the challenges posed by land and water resources to the sustainable production and supply of biofuels.  It also highlights some of the policy interventions needed for effective water management to aid in effective biofuel production.

According to the paper, over 70% percent of fresh water is already used for agriculture to meet food, feed, and fibre needs.  Currently, biofuel production accounts for around 1 percent of global water use.  This figure is set to double in 10 years.  A study by the Integrated Water Management Institute concludes that there will not be enough water and land to feed the world in 50 years if we do not change our current water management practices.

Biofuel production can impact on land and water include: increased demand for irrigation water for biofuel crops; increased water demand in ethanol processing factories; pollution of groundwater through increased use of agro-chemicals; expansion of the agricultural frontier to other natural areas, affecting their role in the water cycle; and possible impact of future (second generation) biofuel technologies.

The paper notes:

Given that the agricultural sector is already facing increasing water stress, it is imperative that any biofuel developments follow best practice and are considered as part of a broader land and water use planning, involving relevant stakeholders. With climate change, such best practices should be extended to agriculture more broadly, to the benefit of nature and the future generations that depend on its valuable services.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, a multistakeholder effort at creating universal standards for the sustainable production of biofuels, provides the following principle on water use for biofuels:

Principle 9: Water
Biofuel operations shall maintain or enhance the quality and quantity of surface and ground water resources, and respect prior formal or customary water rights.

Criterion 9.a Biofuel operations shall respect the existing water rights of local and indigenous communities.

Criterion 9.b Biofuel operations shall include a water management plan which aims to use water efficiently and to maintain or enhance the quality of the water resources that are used for biofuel operations.

Criterion 9.c Biofuel operations shall not contribute to the depletion of surface or groundwater resources beyond replenishment capacities.

Criterion 9.d Biofuel operations shall contribute to the enhancement or maintaining of the quality of the surface and groundwater resources.

The IUCN discussion paper is available here (PDF) for download.

Image: Flickr/austrini