Conflicting Drivers of Virtual Water Trade: A Review Based on the “Virtual Water Concept”

The virtual water concept has been largely applied in the study of regional, national, and global water flows with particular emphasis on water endowment. Despite water traditionally being managed locally, certain forces (drivers) influence the local water resource availability and hence virtual water exchanges. This study reviews available literature to determine those drivers and their influence on virtual water exchanges. Studies show that the drivers are numerous, and there exist several available literatures providing controversial results leading to a high level of uncertainty in the determination of their relative significance. Possible reasons for the contradicting results are discussed and suggestions made.