Evaluating the Direct and Indirect Components of Water-Footprint in Heritage Institute of Technology Campus, Kolkata

IJEP 44(12): 1097-1107 : Vol. 44 Issue. 12 (December 2024)

Bedshruti Sen1, Biswajit Thakur2* and Amit Dutta3

1. Heritage Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Kolkata – 700 107, West Bengal, India
2. Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Kolkata – 700 150, West Bengal, India
3. Jadavpur University, Department of Civil Engineering, Kolkata – 700 032, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Estimation of water footprints for institutional campuses is one of the measures to identify the water-guzzling sectors, decide upon policies to increase water efficiency and identify the dynamics and complex relationships of water, energy and food. This study estimates the water footprint (WF) of a higher educational institute campus in Kolkata, India, for 2022. The study estimates both the campus’s direct and indirect water footprint components and compares them with the findings of other existing studies. The total WF of the said institute is estimated as 999706 m3/year and the per-capita total WF is calculated to be 118 m3/year. The study also revealed the water footprint of direct and indirect components. The direct WF is computed as 42647 m3/year, while the indirect WF accounted for a total of 957059 m3/year. Amongst all the components, food contributed towards the highest proportion of water footprint, that is around 95.5%.

Keywords

Direct water footprint, Indirect water footprint, Water-food-energy, Educational institute campus

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