Water footprint and crop water productivity as decision-support indicators for water resources management and sustainable agricultural planning in Arauca, Colombia

Abstract Agricultural expansion in tropical frontier regions is increasing pressure on water resources and creating new challenges for sustainable water-use planning and management. In Colombia, however, local-scale assessments that integrate water-use indicators into agricultural decision-making remain limited, particularly in departments such as Arauca, where productive expansion coexists with growing pressure on water availability. This study assessed the green water footprint, defined as rainwater stored in the soil and consumed by crops, and the blue water footprint, defined as surface and groundwater consumed through irrigation, for eight regionally relevant crops in Arauca, Colombia, during 2023: rice, maize, cacao, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, citrus, and plantain. Crop water productivity was integrated as a complementary indicator to support water-resource-based agricultural planning at the municipal level. The assessment combined the Water Footprint Network methodology with crop productivity estimates derived from crop yield and water use. The crop-level unit water footprint results showed a slightly greater contribution of blue water (52%) than green water (48%) across the evaluated crops, indicating considerable irrigation dependence in several production systems. Rice, cacao, and plantain exhibited a greater contribution from blue water, whereas pineapple and maize were more strongly supported by green water. The highest water productivity values were observed in Fortul, Saravena, and Arauquita, suggesting more favorable conditions for efficient water use in these municipalities. Overall, the findings reveal marked spatial differences in water-use patterns, irrigation dependence, and crop performance across the department. These results suggest that combining water footprint and crop water productivity can provide useful decision-support information for water resources management, crop prioritization, and territorially differentiated agricultural planning in tropical regions.