The water footprint of sugarcane and cassava in northern Thailand

This study assesses the water footprint (WF) of sugarcane and cassava in northern Thailand. The WF is an indicator that expresses the amount of freshwater embodied in each ton of crop produce. It varies considerably for each region, which is characterized by different climate and agricultural production systems. On average the WF of sugarcane (202 m(3)/ton) is less than that of cassava (509 m(3)/ton). At the provincial level, the WF of sugarcane is most intensive in Lampang (252 m(3)/ton) and less intensive in Kamphaeng Phet (167 m(3)/ton). Uthai Thani is the province where the WF of cassava is the highest (547 m(3)/ton), while Kamphaeng Phet has the lowest WF. If Thailand were to move toworads a low carbon society by switching from fossil fuel to bioenergy the effect on the volume of water usage in agricultural production is likely to increase. Therefore, the main problem facing Thailand will be water scarcity if water resource is not managed properly, this study showed the importance of water management for sustainable - bioenergy production and the competition for water resource between "water for food" or "water for energy" (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Asia Pacific Business Innovation and Technology Management Society