China’s water resources vulnerability: A spatio-temporal analysis during 2003-2013

Abstract:

The present highly serious situation of China’s water environment and aquatic ecosystems has occurred in the context of its stunning socioeconomic development over the past several decades. Therefore, an analysis with a high spatio-temporal resolution of the vulnerability assessment of water resources (VAWR) in China is burningly needed. However, to our knowledge, the temporal analysis of VAWR has been not yet addressed. Consequently, we performed, for the first time, a comprehensive spatio-temporal analysis of China’s water resources vulnerability (WRV), using a composite index approach with an array of aspects highlighting key challenges that China’s water resources system is nowadays facing.

During our study period of 2003-2013, the political weight of China’s integrated water resources management has been increasing continuously. Hence, it is essential and significant, based on the historical socioeconomic changes influenced by water-environment policy making and implementation, to reveal China’s WRV for pinpointing key challenges to the healthy functionality of its water resources system.

The water resources system in North and Central Coast appeared more vulnerable than that in Western China. China’s water use efficiency has grown substantially over the study period, and so is water supply and sanitation coverage. In contrast, water pollution has been worsening remarkably in most parts of China, and so have water scarcity and shortage in the most stressed parts of the country.

This spatio-temporal analysis implies that the key challenges to China’s water resources system not only root in the geographical mismatch between socioeconomic development (e.g. water demand) and water resources endowments (e.g. water resources availability), but also stem from the intertwinement between socioeconomic development and national strategic policy making.