Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
5071928 
Journal Article 
The impact of climate change mitigation on water demand for energy and food: An integrated analysis based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 
Mouratiadou, I; Biewald, A; Pehl, M; Bonsch, M; Baumstark, L; Klein, D; Popp, A; Luderer, G; Kriegler, E 
2016 
Yes 
Environmental Science and Policy
ISSN: 1462-9011 
64 
48-58 
Climate change mitigation, in the context of growing population and ever increasing economic activity, will require a transformation of energy and agricultural systems, posing significant challenges to global water resources. We use an integrated modelling framework of the water-energy-land-climate systems to assess how changes in electricity and land use, induced by climate change mitigation, impact on water demand under alternative socioeconomic (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) and water policy assumptions (irrigation of bioenergy crops, cooling technologies for electricity generation). The impacts of climate change mitigation on cumulated global water demand across the century are highly uncertain, and depending on socioeconomic and water policy conditions, they range from a reduction of 15,000 km(3) to an increase of more than 160,000 km(3). The impact of irrigation of bioenergy crops is the most prominent factor, leading to significantly higher water requirements under climate change mitigation if bioenergy crops are irrigated. Differences in socioeconomic drivers and fossil fuel availability result in significant differences in electricity and bioenergy demands, in the associated electricity and primary energy mixes, and consequently in water demand. Economic affluence and abundance of fossil fuels aggravate pressures on water resources due to higher energy demand and greater deployment of water intensive technologies such as bioenergy and nuclear power. The evolution of future cooling systems is also identified as an important determinant of electricity water demand. Climate policy can result in a reduction of water demand if combined with policies on irrigation of bioenergy, and the deployment of non-water-intensive electricity sources and cooling types. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 
Water demand; Climate change mitigation; Bioenergy; Electricity; Shared socioeconomic pathways; Water policy 
Other
• Third Biofuels Report to Congress
     Included References
          50% to 100%
          50% to 100%
          Ch. 18 International environmental effects
          Ch. 8/9 Land-use Change and Attribution
          Unsure
          Unsure