Quality induced water scarcity and its reginal inequality in China | Dan Wang

Field | Discipline

• Water, Multidisciplinary
• Sustainable development
• Environmental Sciences

Expertise

• Input and output model
• Life cycle assessment
• Water resource management
• Sustainability Assessment

Summary

Water is essential to sustain life, development and the environment. However, around 80% of the global population is currently threatened by water scarcity, which is mainly caused by water pollution. UNEP estimates that two out of every three people will live in water scarce areas by 2025, and at that time, one out of four people is likely to live in countries affected by severe freshwater shortages.

Previous studies on water scarcity are mainly focused on water quantity, either physical water or virtual water. However, quality induced water scarcity has been rarely considered, particularly referring to water quality related to economic sectors. However, human economic activities inevitably generate a large amount of wastewater and it may lead to the deterioration of water quality. Therefore, quality induced water scarcity caused by economic activities needs to be considered seriously.

Research questions will be addressed in this study are as following;

1. how to quantify water pollution or wastewater discharge correctly, accurately and scientifically, just like using blue water footprint to quantify the consumption of surface water and groundwater.
2. how to assess quality related water scarcity in China by using input and output model? And how to alleviate quality induced water scarcity by reducing wastewater discharge from economic sectors, adopting suitable treatment and reuse technologies or other approaches like eco-compensation.
3. what is the status quo of inequality caused by outsourced wastewater, especially in terms of human health and ecological security. And how to reduce the inequality induced by outsourcing. Expertise Input and output model Life cycle assessment Water resource management Sustainability Assessment.

Supervision by

• Promotor: Prof. dr. K.S. (Klaus) Hubacek | Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society - IREES | ESRIG, University of Groningen.
• Co-promotor: Dr. Y. (Yuli) Shan | Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society - IREES | ESRIG, University of Groningen.

More information and contact details can be found on the personal profile of Dan Wang