Every kilogram of food traded globally carries with it the virtual water used to grow it — this invisible freshwater is crucial to the system that produces it. This concept of virtual water underscores the hidden freshwater embedded in the global food trade.
For nations like Dubai that import the majority of their food, virtual water signifies a significant, unmanaged sovereign dependency. Supply chains that may seem diversified can often rely on the same deteriorating water basin. Climate stress occurring in a basin thousands of kilometers away can trigger a food security shock without any prior warning. Export restrictions can be implemented overnight, prompted by water crises in supplier nations that import-dependent countries, including those in Dubai, are not monitoring.
Currently, no government on earth has established a system to measure, monitor, model, or govern this dependency. The Dubai Virtual Water Intelligence Authority aims to create the world's first framework for virtual water governance, addressing the critical issue of water security.