Water and energy are both important resources for regional
economies, and they are inextricably and reciprocally linked. Energy
producers require a lot of water. Crude oil production, for
example, consumes 1.1 m3 water/GJ [1]. Numerous studies have
investigated the water footprint of energy production (WFEP),
which is the water directly and indirectly required for energy
production. The WFEP of bioenergy is especially of interest because
of the large amount ofwater consumed per unit of energy produced
[1e3].
Energy is typically supplied to domestic consumers by both
domestic and foreign producers, so it is important to consider both
sources when analyzing the WFEP. Thus this study evaluates not
only the WFEP but also the water footprint of energy supply
(WFES). We selected the Kingdom of Thailand (hereinafterThailand) as a study area, because the total bioenergy supply has
been increasing (it is currently 18% of Thailand’s total energy supply
[4]) and the impact on water resources is of concern [5].
In this paper, we explain our methodology for analyzing the
WFEP and WFES with a review of past studies. Next, we show
the changes in the WFEP and WFES in the past 25 years.
Finally, we discuss the policy implications of managing energy
and water.