Avaliação da Pegada Hídrica da Alimentação de Um Grupo de Alunos do Setor de Aulas IV da UFRN

One of the main consequences of population growth on the environment is the water shortage. Because water is such a valuable asset for human life, it is increasingly necessary to use water resources management tools. Water is used on a large scale in food production around the world, and in Brazil, 70% of total demand is concentrated in agriculture. Thus, the Water Footprint (PH), which measures the amount of water incorporated in a consumer good, throughout its production process (including the portion that is polluted), must be strongly considered to make the use of water resources more sustainable. This study conducts a field research in order to survey the water footprint of a group of students from the IV class of the Rio Grande do Norte Federal University. Questionnaires were applied, which took into account gender, age, preferred type of meat and frequency of consumption. The average found among the individuals interviewed was 2457,01 l / person.day, which is higher than the average of a Brazilian individual, 1926 l / person.day. The course that presented the highest PH was Environmental Engineering, probably due to the high frequency of consumption of meats and processed foods. The smallest Water Footprint was of Architecture and Urbanism, which in an opposite way, presented variability of diets, low consumption of red meat and high consumption of vegetables and fruits. These results showed that animal products carry a large portion of freshwater appropriation. The concern to reduce this demand should not only be for producers, but also for consumers, in order to review their consumption patterns. ; Uma das principais consequências do crescimento populacional sobre o meio ambiente é a escassez hídrica. Por ser a água um bem tão valioso para a vida humana, faz-se cada vez mais necessária a utilização de instrumentos de gestão de recursos hídricos. A água é utilizada em grande escala na produção dos alimentos em todo o mundo, e no Brasil, 70% da demanda hídrica total está concentrada na agricultura. Dessa ...