Veejalajälg

Veejalajälg, or water footprint, is a measure of the total freshwater used and polluted in the production and delivery of goods and services, calculated across the full life cycle from raw material extraction to end use and disposal. It encompasses water withdrawn, consumed, and returned, as well as the quality impacts of wastewater discharged into the environment.

The concept is commonly divided into three components. The blue water footprint refers to freshwater withdrawn from surface or groundwater sources that is consumed or stored in the product system. The green water footprint represents rainwater stored in the soil and used in crop production. The grey water footprint quantifies the volume of freshwater required to dilute pollutants to acceptable concentration levels, thereby maintaining water quality.

Calculation typically relies on life cycle data and region-specific hydrological information. The Water Footprint Network provides methodological guidance and tools, while ISO 14046 offers an international framework for reporting water footprints. Footprints can be calculated for products, processes, organizations, or entire supply chains and are often expressed in liters or cubic meters per unit of production.

Applications include sustainability reporting, supply chain risk assessment, policy development, and consumer information. They are widely used in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, beverages, and manufacturing to identify hotspots and compare alternatives. Limitations include data availability and quality, regional variations in water scarcity, and methodological choices that affect comparability. Veejalajälg is a component of broader environmental accounting and is often considered alongside life cycle assessment (LCA) to capture water-related impacts in decision making.