Accounting for water use by wildlife-conceptual and practical issues and a case study from Botswana

Use of water by wildlife is not explicitly considered in any part of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). However, wildlife uses water and in some cases this may be in conflict with other water uses (e.g. irrigation). To examine the magnitude of this problem and the conceptual and practical challenges of including wildlife water use in the SEEA, estimates of water use for 31 mammals in Botswana were developed using readily available data on their abundance and coefficients of water use. Three recording options were considered for the physical supply and use tables: (1) water use by wildlife shown in a new column entitled “Wildlife”; (2) shown as a use by industry under “Operation of nature reserves” and; (3) the preferred option, shown as a split between the first two options, reflecting the location of wildlife inside or outside national parks. The key conceptual issue for recording is the delineation of the production boundary, determined in this case by the extent to which wildlife is deemed managed and hence akin to a cultivated resource in the SEEA. Despite some data limitations, wildlife water use in Botswana was significant, with 21 species accounting for 19,345 ML in 2012-13, equivalent to 10% of the previously estimated water consumption in that year. Water account producers now have clear options for including wildlife, providing water planners and wildlife managers with improved information to help balance competing demands for water that may occur at particular times and places.