Statistical characterization of the virtual water trade network

The water that is used in the production process of a product (a supply, commodity or service) is called the ”virtual water” contained in the product. If one country (or region, company, individual, etc.) exports a water intensive product to another country, it exports water in virtual form. Virtual water trade as both a pol- icy instrument and practical means to balance the local, national and global water budget has received much attention in recent years. Several studies have been con- ducted by researchers from various disciplines including engineers, economists and demographers. The aim of this paper is to improve the statistical characterization of the virtual water flow networks by suggesting a statistical modeling approach for examining their stochastic properties.