Discipline System of Water Science and Its Research Progress and Prospect

Abstract

Water science is an interdisciplinary science specializing in the study of water, and it involves many disciplines and a wide range of research areas. It is a science closely related to human survival, economic and social development, and the wellbeing and reproduction of nature and its all inhabitants. However, due to its complexity, universality, and multidisciplinary nature, the term “water science” has been widely mentioned and used but not standardized. Therefore, it is necessary to further sort out its concept and build its discipline system from the macro level and the level of disciplinary synthesis. Based on a large amount of data analysis, this paper summarized the relevant articles, monographs, and academic communication results since 2011 to propose an interpretation and define the concept and research scope of water science. Then, the discipline system of water science was elaborated, and the current research status and the prospect of water science in China as reflected in the “Report on the Progress of Water Science Research in China” was introduced. In addition, the future development trend of water science was expounded from five aspects, and five future development characteristics of water were then proposed. The research results can provide a reference for further standardizing the scope of water science research, analyzing the discipline system of water science, and shedding light to future development direction.