Water footprints: policy relevant or one-‐dimensional indicators?
This article looks at whether water footprints provide the information required to serve as a policy-‐relevant analytical construct. The author argues that, since water footprints do not describe the opportunity costs or the incremental benefits of water use in any setting, they do not describe potential implications for livelihoods. Thus, the author concludes that policies designed on the basis of estimated water footprints might actually move society further away from desirable outcomes.