Waterscape, State and Situation of China’s Water Resources

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.