Urban water scarcity in China: A systematic review of research advances and future directions

Abstract

Urban water scarcity (UWS) has become a major constraint on socioeconomic development. To understand the research advances of UWS in China, we systematically reviewed literature published from 2002 to 2022. First, we quantified the 112 relevant publications' characteristics and summarized the relative methods. Then, we reviewed the evaluation results, influencing factors, socioeconomic and environmental effects, and response strategies. Furthermore, we discussed the challenges of existing research and proposed future directions. We found that China's UWS has gradually received more attention. The literature showed that 107 cities were water-stressed. Relative studies focused on large cities and the quantity-induced UWS in North China and Northwest China and the quality-induced UWS across the country. Thirteen classes of indicators were frequently used in UWS assessments, but a comparable evaluation system across different scales and cities is still lacking. China's UWS is mainly attributed to human activities followed by climate change and has influenced the environment, residents' health, and economic development within and beyond cities, but comprehensive assessments of driving forces, effects and solutions are lacking. To promote UWS research and improve urban sustainability under new-type urbanization and climate change, a framework covering various data sources, multiple scales, and diverse dimensions was proposed.