Virtual water trade patterns in relation to environmental and socioeconomic factors: A case study for Tunisia.

摘要: Growing water demands put increasing pressure on local resources, especially in water-short countries. Virtual trade can play a key role filling the gap between demand and supply of water-intensive commodities. This study aims to analyse dynamics virtual Tunisia relation environmental socio-economic factors such as GDP, irrigated land, precipitation, population scarcity. The footprint crop production is estimated using AquaCrop for six crops over period 1981-2010. Net import (NVWI) quantified at yearly basis. Regression models are used investigate NVWI selected factors. results show that during not influenced by blue correlates two alternative either precipitation (model I) or GDP area II). better explaining staple (wheat, barley, potatoes) than cash (dates, olives, tomatoes). Using model I, we able explain both trends inter-annual variability rain-fed crops. Model II performs significantly; no significant found, however, with variables hypothesized represent variability.