CALCULATING THE VIRTUAL WATER FOOTPRINT TO EVALUATE WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND PROPOSE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS IN TEA PRODUCTION IN PHU THO, VIETNAM

Abstract

Increasing pressure on freshwater resources driven by climate change and agricultural intensification necessitates a robust assessment of water use efficiency in crop production systems. This study applies the FAO CROPWAT 8.0 model to quantify the water footprint (WF) of tea production in Phu Tho province, Vietnam, with the aim of evaluating water use efficiency and proposing sustainable management solutions. The water footprint includes green, blue, and grey components following the Hoekstra framework, incorporating both cultivation and processing stages based on field survey data from representative tea production facilities. The results show that the green water footprint dominates total water consumption, highlighting a strong dependence on rainfall. However, blue water use increases during dry periods and in processing activities, while the grey water footprint shows potential environmental pressure from nitrogen-based fertilizer application. Comparative analysis suggests that water use efficiency in Phu Tho tea production is moderate relative to global benchmarks, with considerable potential for improvement. This study proposes some sustainability-oriented strategies including optimizing irrigation scheduling based on actual crop water demand, improving soil moisture retention, reducing nutrient losses to minimize grey water impacts and promoting circular economy practices in tea production systems. The results support sustainable water resource management in agricultural systems, contributing to enhanced environmental performance and long-term resilience of the tea production sector in Vietnam.