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Sustainability of global water use

Past reconstruction and future projections

Bibliographic Data

ID15545773
AuthorsYoshihide Wada (0000-0003-4770-2539, Utrecht University, corresponding author), Marc F P Bierkens (0000-0002-7411-6562, Deltares)
Year2014
Volume9
Issue10
Pages104003-104003
Publication date2014-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironmental Research Letters (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326
PublisherIOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/104003
OpenAlexW2151156435
LanguageEN
Citations received57
References cited85

Overuse of surface water and an increasing reliance on nonrenewable groundwater resources have been reported over various regions of the world, casting significant doubt on the sustainable water supply and food production met by irrigation. To assess the limitations of global water resources, numerous indicators have been developed, but they rarely consider nonrenewable water use. In addition, surface water over-abstraction is rarely assessed in the context of human and environmental water needs. Here, we perform a transient assessment of global water use over the historical period 1960–2010 as well as the future projections of 2011–2099, using a newly developed indicator: the blue water sustainability index (BlWSI). The BlWSI incorporates both nonrenewable groundwater use and nonsustainable water use that compromises environmental flow requirements. Our results reveal an increasing trend of water consumed from nonsustainable surface water and groundwater resources over the historical period (∼30%), and this increase is projected to continue further towards the end of this century (∼40%). The global amount of nonsustainable water consumption has been increasing especially since the late 1990s, despite a wetter climate and increasing water availability during this period. The BlWSI is the first tool suitable for consistently evaluating the renewability and degradation of surface water and groundwater resources as a result of human water over-abstraction

Aquifer · Context (archaeology · Geography · Groundwater · Groundwater recharge · Hydrology (agriculture · Non-renewable resource · Renewable energy · Surface water · Sustainability · Water resource management · Water resources · Water use · Environmental Science · Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies · Water resources management and optimization · Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies · Ecology · Environmental Engineering · Geology

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Unique citing works57
Citations per year4,75
Citation span2014 - 2026 (13)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 54

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