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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402457
Research Project: From Field to Watershed: Enhancing Water Quality and Management in Agroecosystems through Remote Sensing, Ground Measurements, and Integrative Modeling

Location: Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory

Title: Water regulation mitigates but does not eliminate water scarcity under rapid economic growth

Author
item WANG, YIMING - Iowa State University
item ZHOU, YUYU - Iowa State University
item Zhang, Xuesong
item FRANZ, K. - Iowa State University
item JIA, G. - Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: Resources Conservation and Recycling
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/19/2024
Publication Date: 12/31/2024
Citation: Wang, Y., Zhou, Y., Zhang, X., Franz, K., Jia, G. 2024. Water regulation mitigates but does not eliminate water scarcity under rapid economic growth . Resources Conservation and Recycling. 215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108098.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108098

Interpretive Summary: Numerous regions across the globe are facing water shortages caused by agricultural irrigation and urbanization. Here we assessed how different water regulation scenarios (reference, strict, and lenient regulation) can influence water resources in a watershed that is home to large areas of irrigated cropland and is experiencing rapid urbanization. We found that water regulations are more effective in reducing domestic and industrial water use than improving irrigation efficiency. In addition, fast economic growth can cause inefficient water use and decrease streamflow. Therefore, economic growth rates should be considered in designing effective water regulations to ensure adequate water resources in water-scarce regions.

Technical Abstract: Sustainable use of water resources is vital for regulating the hydrological cycle, preserving ecosystem health, and promoting regional sustainable development, particularly under the increasing pressures of climate change and urbanization. Implementing water regulations across various sectors is a common approach to manage increased water demand in regions experiencing economic growth. In this study, the Community Water Model (CWatM) was used to examine the impact of regulations on water resources in the rapidly urbanizing Haihe River Basin. We developed three regulation scenarios (reference, strict, and lenient) in conjunction with two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) to investigate changes in hydrological processes. The results indicate that water regulations had a greater impact on surface water than soil water storage due to their lesser impact on irrigation efficiency compared to domestic and industrial water use. Streamflow in the main stem could be reduced by 3-20% during the wet season and up to 50% during the dry season under lenient regulations with the regional rivalry scenario (SSP3). Moreover, streamflow could vary by up to 20% under different economic growth rates. Regulations under reference scenarios could also increase surface runoff by 10% in plain regions and decrease it by 8% in mountainous regions. These findings highlight the importance of effective water regulation in ensuring sufficient water resources in water-scarce basins in the context of economic growth and increasing water demand.