However, the use of virtual water estimates may offer no guidance for policymakers seeking to ensure they are meeting environmental objectives.
When a country imports one tonne of wheat instead of producing it domestically, it is saving about 1,300 cubic meters of real indigenous water.
This has obvious strategic implications for countries that are water-constrained such as those found in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) area.
[8] In recent years, the concept of virtual water trade has gained weight both in the scientific as well as in the political debate.
As an analytical concept, virtual water trade represents an instrument that allows the identification and assessment of policy options not only in the scientific but also in the political discourse.
Analytically, the concept enables one to distinguish between global, regional, and local levels and their linkages.
According to the proceedings of a 2006 conference in Frankfurt, Germany, it seems reasonable to link the new concept with the approach of integrated water resources management.
For instance, it takes 1,340 cubic meters of water (based on the world average) to produce one tonne of wheat.
[16] Other limitations more specific to the MENA (the Middle East & North Africa) region include the fact that importing food could pose the risk of further political dependence.