Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Data and knowledge of the spatial-temporal dynamics of surface water area (SWA) and terrestrial water storage (TWS) in China are critical for sustainable management of water resources but remain very limited. Here we report annual maps of surface water bodies in China during 1989-2016 at 30m spatial resolution. We find that SWA decreases in water-poor northern China but increases in water-rich southern China during 1989-2016. Our results also reveal the spatial-temporal divergence and consistency between TWS and SWA during 2002-2016. In North China, extensive and continued losses of TWS, together with small to moderate changes of SWA, indicate long-term water stress in the region. Approximately 569 million people live in those areas with deceasing SWA or TWS trends in 2015. Our data set and the findings from this study could be used to support the government and the public to address increasing challenges of water resources and security in China.
Source: Nature Communications
Language: English
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,380
Funders: National Science Foundation, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Agricultural University, Fudan University, China Scholarship Council, China University of Geosciences, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
OpenAlex ID: W3041100341