Freshwater use in China: relations to economic development and natural water resources availability

Understanding the patterns and driving factors of water use is vital for developing adequate and sustainable water management strategies. This study examines the relations of provincial freshwater use in China to economic development and natural water availability in both space and time. The panel data model fitting results indicate that temporal variability of per capita total and sectoral water use shows an environmental Kuznets curve and is negatively correlated with water availability. In space, water availability has a significant positive effect on provincial water use. The results aids in diagnosing historical water use and elucidating relevant policy implications.