Assessing Water Sustainability in Northwest China: Analysis of Water Quantity, Water Quality, Socio-Economic Development and Policy Impacts

Northwest China (NWC) is one of the driest areas of the world. Over the past decades, NWC has experienced rapid socio-economic development, further stressing its freshwater quantity and quality. However, there is little knowledge on the long-term status of NWC's water resources and the anthropogenic impacts-positive (environmental policies) or negative (uncontrolled development). We present a holistic spatiotemporal assessment of NWC's water quantity, water scarcity, and water quality based on water use intensity (WUI), water scarcity index (WSI), and statistical analyses and tests, combining multiple datasets spanning the past two decades. Moreover, we analyze the impacts of socio-economic development on water resources and mention the relevant governmental efforts and policies to preserve NWC's water resources. NWC's water use was found to be unsustainable, having significantly increased by 10% over the past two decades, but without being able to adequately cover the needs of most sectors. Our results also reveal water scarcity inequalities among NWC's provinces; perennial water scarcity exists in Xinjiang and Ningxia Provinces, and there is no water stress in Qinghai. A remarkable wastewater treatment rate (from 27.3% in 2003 to 97.1% in 2020) and river water quality improvement have been achieved under continuous efforts, huge restoration and water pollution control investments. However, water shortages are a persistent issue. Balancing the water availability and demand will be crucial to achieve a truly sustainable development.

Automated summary

Northwest China is facing significant challenges in terms of water quantity and quality due to rapid socio-economic development, and there is a lack of understanding about the long-term status of its water resources. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of water resources in Northwest China, with a focus on water use intensity, water scarcity, and water quality. The findings highlight the unsustainable water use and inequalities in water scarcity among provinces, as well as the efforts made by the government to preserve water resources. Although significant improvements have been achieved in wastewater treatment and river water quality, water shortages remain a persistent issue that needs to be addressed for sustainable development.