Changes in China's water resources in the early 21st century

Abstract

Nearly 19% of the world's population lives in China, yet the country contains only 7% of the planet's fresh water. Combining remotely sensed data and ground‐based measurements, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of recent changes in China's water resources. Beginning in the 21st century, glaciers in western China have been melting at very high rates; lakes on the Tibetan Plateau have been expanding rapidly, but lakes in other regions have been severely impacted by humans; and groundwater in the North China Plain is increasingly being depleted. Overall, the nation's water resources have been decreasing at an annual rate of ~9.6 billion cubic meters. Precipitation was the dominant factor controlling the observed changes in water resources, but human activities and rising temperatures have also been major drivers in the decline of water resources in the North China Plain and Tibet, respectively. From a global perspective, the changes in China's water resources are among the most pronounced on Earth, and water policies should be re‐evaluated and revised in light of the findings presented here.