Virtual water as ecological resource in agricultural and industrial production in the Republic of Serbia

Jedan od najznačajnijih prirodnih resursa je voda. Od prvih početaka života na planeti, voda se neprestano koristi i postepeno kontaminira biljnim, životinjskim i humanim otpadom i debrijem. Razvoj urbanih područja izazvao je značajno povećanje količine organskog otpada u vodenim tokovima, prevazilazeći autopurifikacioni kapacitet same vode. Zbog kompleksne prirode korištenja i visokog značaja za održavanje života na Zemlji, integralna zaštita voda je prioritetni zadatak. Virtuelna voda predstavlja vodu koja je sastavni deo proizvoda, onu koja je utrošena u procesu njegove proizvodnje i koja je tim procesom zagađena. Ova količina varira u zavisnosti od tipa proizvoda. Ovaj koncept na jedinstven i logičan način, povezuje trgovinu i vodu, kako površinsku, tako i podzemnnu i vodu sadržanu u porama zemljišta. Vodno najzahtevnija tehnološka oblast je proizvodnja hrane. Sa aspekta međunarodne trgovine, država koja uvozi/izvozi pšenicu, takođe izvozi i vodu koja je u njoj sadržana i koja je utrošena za njenu proizvodnju, i to u odnosu od 1159 kubnih metara vode po svakoj toni proizvoda. U radu je analiziran vodni potencijal Republike Srbije i njegovo korištenje u poljoprivrednoj i industrijskoj proizvodnji, sa aspekta zelene, plave i sive vode, a u cilju ekonomske i ekološke održivosti, zaštite životne sredine i obezbeđivanja vonde samoodrživsti zemlje. Rad ukazuje na nepostojanje pravne regulative, kojom bi se definisala vrednost virtuelne vode, a samim tim ne kao i sistema monitoringa njenog režima, te na neophodnost izrade strateških programa, koji bi definisali osnovna načela i mere upravljanja ovim resursom u Republici Srbiji.One of the most important natural resources is water. Since the first beginnings of life on the planet, water is continuously used and gradually contaminated by plant, animal and human waste and debriefing. The development of urban areas caused a significant increase in the amount of organic waste in watercourses, exceeding the autopurification capacity of the water itself. Due to the complex nature of the use and the high importance of maintaining life on Earth, integral water protection is a priority task. Virtual water is water that is an integral part of the product, the one consumed in the process of its production and which is contaminated with the process. This quantity varies depending on the type of product. This concept in a unique and logical way connects trade and water, both surface, as well as underground and water contained in the pores of the land. The most demanding technological area is food production. From the aspect of international trade, the state that imports / exports wheat also exports the water contained in it and which is spent on its production, in relation to 1159 cubic meters of water per ton of products. The paper analyzes the water potential of the Republic of Serbia and its use in agricultural and industrial production, from the aspect of green, blue and gray water, with the aim of economic and ecological sustainability, environmental protection and securing the country's voodoo sustainability. The paper points out that there is no legal regulation that would define the value of virtual water, and therefore not as a system of monitoring its regime, and the necessity of drafting strategic programs that would define the basic principles and measures of managing this resource in the Republic of Serbia