ABSTRACT
This chapter examines that different perspectives on what is ‘efficient water use’ and begins with the user point of view. It discusses efficiency from two other perspectives: the geographic perspective and looks at what to produce where in order to save water and reduce water scarcity, and the consumption perspective. The chapter addresses the question of how to best fulfil certain consumer needs with less water. It also discusses how optimistic people can be on the question whether they can solve most of our water problems through efficiency gains in production. A water user can increase his water-use efficiency by producing the same amount with a smaller water footprint, or by producing more with the same water footprint. The grey water footprint can be nullified by avoiding any diffuse pollution and making sure that effluents are treated such that the concentration of any chemical is equal to or lower than the concentration in the abstracted water.
