Water footprint of nations amplified by scarcity in the Belt and Road Initiative
Kai Fang,
Jianjian He,
Qingyan Liu,
Siqi Wang,
Yong Geng,
Reinout Heijungs,
Yueyue Du,
Wenze Yue,
Anqi Xu,
Chuanglin Fang
Affiliations
Kai Fang
School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Center of Social Welfare and Governance, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Zhejiang Ecological Civilization Academy, Anji, 313300, China; Corresponding author. School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Jianjian He
School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
Qingyan Liu
China Unicom (Shanxi) Industry Internet Co., LTD, Taiyuan, 030032, China
Siqi Wang
School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
Yong Geng
School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; China Institute of Urban Governance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China; Corresponding author. School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.
Reinout Heijungs
Department of Operations Analytics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam, 1081, HV, the Netherlands; Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, 2300RA, the Netherlands
Yueyue Du
Fujian Tourism Development Group, Fuzhou, 350003, China
Wenze Yue
School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
Anqi Xu
School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
Chuanglin Fang
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
The growing water scarcity due to international trade poses a serious threat to global sustainability. Given the intensified international trade throughout the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), this paper tracks the virtual water trade and water footprint of BRI countries in 2005–2015. By conducting a multi-model assessment, we observe a substantial increase in BRI's water footprint after taking water scarcity into account. Globally the BRI acts as a net exporter of virtual water, while the export volume experiences a decreasing trend. Noticeable transitions in nations' role (net exporters vs. net importers) are found between the BRI and global scales, but also between with and without considering water scarcity. Overall economic and population growth is major drivers of scarcity-weighted water footprint for BRI nations, as opposed to the promotion of water-use efficiency and production structure that can reduce water scarcity. Improving international trade and strengthening cooperation on water resources management deserve priority in alleviating the water scarcity of BRI.
