Abstract
Water is one of the most critical issues of concern in China’s ongoing rapid economic development. The resource is scarce and demand is growing as China becomes more industrialized and urbanized. The situation is exacerbated by natural and anthropogenic events such as climate change, pollution, exorbitant patterns of water consumption, and an uneven distribution of water resources, with devastating impacts on ecosystems, international relations, food security and public health. In this paper, an overview of China’s water resources is presented. Studies on distribution, consumption patterns and pollution of water resources are reviewed in order to understand the over-exploited and unexplored dimensions of the Chinese water landscape. The status of water resources is also studied with an intention of providing information on the dynamics of water quality and quantity. The paper concludes with a discussion on China’s commitment to rebalancing its water growth model and the measures taken to achieve that.
Highlights
The escalating pace, intensity and scale of China’s economic growth and urbanization have burdened the country’s natural resources, including water
Consumption patterns and pollution of water resources are reviewed in order to understand the over-exploited and unexplored dimensions of the Chinese water landscape
The status of water resources is studied with an intention of providing information on the dynamics of water quality and quantity
Summary
The escalating pace, intensity and scale of China’s economic growth and urbanization have burdened the country’s natural resources, including water. Despite efforts by the Chinese government to improve water quality standards in recent years (Liu, 2015), pollution on some of the major rivers and lakes continues and the quality of these water resources is still below the grade levels of IV and V (water quality that is highly polluted and rarely used) This means that about 200 million people still use unsafe water (Gross, 2018). In northern China, water scarcity has increased the incidence of industrial pollution, overuse of agrochemicals and, at the same time, increased human exposure to toxic inorganic compounds (e.g. mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic) given that, water-stressed farmers use polluted water for irrigation purposes This leads to food contamination and a subsequent water-and food-related health emergencies. The paper concludes with sustainable measures implemented by the Chinese government in addressing its water situation
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