Towards environmental sustainability: Life cycle assessment-based water footprint analysis on China's cotton production

Abstract

Available water resource scarcity is a severe problem in China. Cotton production is coupled with substantial irrigation requirements and nutrient loss. Systematic analysis of water consumption and pollutant emissions in direct and indirect processes is a prerequisite to enhance the environmental performance of cotton production. This study conducts a life cycle assessment-based water footprint analysis of China's cotton production to identify the links among water consumption, pollutant emissions and migration, driving factors, and spatiotemporal variation. Spatiotemporal, statistical coupling, and multi-factors correlation analyses are utilized to explore interannual variability, identify optimization areas, realize optimization potential, and provide data support for sustainable development. Results show that the potential impact of producing 1 t cotton on the ecosystem quality and human health was 152.83 species·yr and 1.69 × 10−3 disability-adjusted life years, respectively. The direct environmental impact caused by water consumption and nutrient loss, and the indirect impact attributed to fertilizer and diesel production restricted the sustainable development of cotton production in China. The environmental impact of cotton production in China displays an apparent regional concentration. Xinjiang Province is the crucial region for addressing the challenge of water sustainability in cotton production. Qinghai and Inner Mongolia provinces were recommended to develop cotton cultivation to ease the regional concentration situation and improve the national sustainability of cotton production. Several practical measures, including straw returning, energy substitution, and drip irrigation under the degradable film, are recommended to improve environmental performance of cotton production.