虚拟水与水足迹将水资源研究从环境范畴拓展到了社会经济领域,是有效的水资源管理工具,但是两者既有联系又有区别。因此采用对比研究的方法,对虚拟水和水足迹的研究范围、研究对象、研究视角、计算方法和研究意义进行对比。结果发现在作物生长和气候条件已知的条件下计算农产品生产消耗的水量,虚拟水比水足迹更简便;与虚拟水相比水足迹应用范围更广。对于虚拟水和水足迹的辨析,有利于正确运用两种工具进行深化研究,以方便其在水资源利用中的应用。
Virtual water and water footprint are useful water management tools, which bring water research from environmental region to social economic region. Although they share similar characters, they are also different from each other. So based on comparative research, the aspects of research scope, objects, angle of view, calculation method and research meaning of them are compared. And the result shows that virtual water is more convenient under specific conditions, while water footprint has wider usage compared with virtual water. The distinguishing of virtual water and water footprint is helpful for further study with both of them, as well as better usage in water resource research.