Population increases, income growth and the glo- The North America region is the highest per capita
bal liberalization of trade in goods-and-services all water user in the world. One of the key reasons is its
stimulate an increase in energy demand. The world low cost, the lowest among the world’s industrialized
is facing twin threats: inadequate and insecure countries, given the subsidies to industry, agriculture
supplies of energy at affordable prices, and environ- and municipalities. Another reason is that North
mental damage due to overconsumption of energy. America is a net exporter of food, and thus the
Global demand for energy keeps growing, placing world’s biggest exporter of “virtual water,” which is
an ever-increasing burden on natural resources and the water contained in the food.
the environment.
DownloaD Graphic 2
For about three decades, world primary energy
Comparison of per capita water use by region
demand grew by 2.1 per cent annually, rising from
m
3
per person
Africa
5 566 million tonnes oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 1971 1 800
Asia and the Pacific
to 11 204 Mtoe in 2004. Over two-thirds of this
Europe
1 600
increase came from developing countries, but OECD
Latin America and the Caribbean
North America
countries still account for almost 50 per cent of world
1 400
West Asia
energy demand. For example in 2004, primary
1 200
energy use per capita in OECD countries was still
10 times higher than in sub-Saharan Africa.
1 000
800
The past 20 years have seen increasing water use
for food and energy production to meet the de-
600
tal,
mands of a growing population and to enhance hu- 400
O
man well-being, a continuing global trend. However,
F
A
the changes in the way water is used have signifi-
200
T
A
T 2007
cant adverse impacts, which require urgent attention 0
to ensure sustainability.
1998–02 Source: GEO Data Por compiled from AQUAS
Total primary energy supply by energy source DownloaD Graphic 2
Crude, NLG and feedstocks (crude oil)
Coal and coal products
Natural gas
Combustible renewables and waste
Nuclear
Hydro
2004
Geothermal
1987
Solar/Wind/Other
0
500
0 0 0 0 0
Note: NLG = Natural
1 00 1 50 2 000 2 500 3 00 3 500 4 00 4 50
liquiefied gas.
million tonnes oil equivalent
Source: GEO Data Portal,
compiled from IEA 2007a
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY 59
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