Water-saving strategies across prefectures should target the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in China

Zongyong Zhang; Yuli Shan; Martin R. Tillotson; Philippe Ciais; Xu Zhao; Dandan Zhao; Hong Yang; Jingwen Huo; Zhao Zeng; Xian Li; Heran Zheng; Bofeng Cai; Wanqing Wang; Wang Kai; Guanlin Li; Geng Niu; Dabo Guan; Junguo Liu; Yu Hao

doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02292-3

Water-saving strategies across prefectures should target the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in China

Zongyong Zhang, Yuli Shan, Martin R. Tillotson, Philippe Ciais, Xu Zhao, Dandan Zhao, Hong Yang, Jingwen Huo, Zhao Zeng, Xian Li, Heran Zheng, Bofeng Cai, Wanqing Wang, Wang Kai, Guanlin Li, Geng Niu, Dabo Guan^*, Junguo Liu^*, Yu Hao^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Water scarcity is a global challenge in many emerging economies, including China. China is one of the most extensive freshwater users and has set water efficiency improvement goals for 2030 at the prefecture level. However, no systematic water use and savings comparison exists across prefectures and sectors. Here, we used datasets of water withdrawal for 10,608 industrial and 1715 agricultural sub-sectors for 343 prefectures, and explored the opportunities to reduce water use. Results show that 10% of the least water-efficient industrial sub-sectors represent a disproportionate 46% water use. 18.9 km³ (±3.2%) water saving in industry and 50.3 km³ (±2.3%) in agriculture could be achieved, equivalent to Russia’s annual demand. A minority of sectors, including cloth(ing)- and chemical-manufacturing, rice-, vegetable- and fruit-cultivation, could contribute the most to water savings. Our study is essential for identifying water use and efficiency information for individual prefectures and sectors.

Original language	English
Article number	349
Journal	Communications Earth and Environment
Volume	6
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02292-3
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025
Externally published	Yes

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Zhang, Z., Shan, Y., Tillotson, M. R., Ciais, P., Zhao, X., Zhao, D., Yang, H., Huo, J., Zeng, Z., Li, X., Zheng, H., Cai, B., Wang, W., Kai, W., Li, G., Niu, G., Guan, D., Liu, J., & Hao, Y. (2025). Water-saving strategies across prefectures should target the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in China. Communications Earth and Environment, 6(1), Article 349. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02292-3

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title = "Water-saving strategies across prefectures should target the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in China",

abstract = "Water scarcity is a global challenge in many emerging economies, including China. China is one of the most extensive freshwater users and has set water efficiency improvement goals for 2030 at the prefecture level. However, no systematic water use and savings comparison exists across prefectures and sectors. Here, we used datasets of water withdrawal for 10,608 industrial and 1715 agricultural sub-sectors for 343 prefectures, and explored the opportunities to reduce water use. Results show that 10% of the least water-efficient industrial sub-sectors represent a disproportionate 46% water use. 18.9 km3 (±3.2%) water saving in industry and 50.3 km3 (±2.3%) in agriculture could be achieved, equivalent to Russia{\textquoteright}s annual demand. A minority of sectors, including cloth(ing)- and chemical-manufacturing, rice-, vegetable- and fruit-cultivation, could contribute the most to water savings. Our study is essential for identifying water use and efficiency information for individual prefectures and sectors.",

author = "Zongyong Zhang and Yuli Shan and Tillotson, {Martin R.} and Philippe Ciais and Xu Zhao and Dandan Zhao and Hong Yang and Jingwen Huo and Zhao Zeng and Xian Li and Heran Zheng and Bofeng Cai and Wanqing Wang and Wang Kai and Guanlin Li and Geng Niu and Dabo Guan and Junguo Liu and Yu Hao",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s43247-025-02292-3",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "Communications Earth and Environment",

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Zhang, Z, Shan, Y, Tillotson, MR, Ciais, P, Zhao, X, Zhao, D, Yang, H, Huo, J, Zeng, Z, Li, X, Zheng, H, Cai, B, Wang, W, Kai, W, Li, G, Niu, G, Guan, D, Liu, J & Hao, Y 2025, 'Water-saving strategies across prefectures should target the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in China', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 6, no. 1, 349. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02292-3

TY - JOUR

T1 - Water-saving strategies across prefectures should target the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in China

AU - Zhang, Zongyong

AU - Shan, Yuli

AU - Tillotson, Martin R.

AU - Ciais, Philippe

AU - Zhao, Xu

AU - Zhao, Dandan

AU - Yang, Hong

AU - Huo, Jingwen

AU - Zeng, Zhao

AU - Li, Xian

AU - Zheng, Heran

AU - Cai, Bofeng

AU - Wang, Wanqing

AU - Kai, Wang

AU - Li, Guanlin

AU - Niu, Geng

AU - Guan, Dabo

AU - Liu, Junguo

AU - Hao, Yu

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Water scarcity is a global challenge in many emerging economies, including China. China is one of the most extensive freshwater users and has set water efficiency improvement goals for 2030 at the prefecture level. However, no systematic water use and savings comparison exists across prefectures and sectors. Here, we used datasets of water withdrawal for 10,608 industrial and 1715 agricultural sub-sectors for 343 prefectures, and explored the opportunities to reduce water use. Results show that 10% of the least water-efficient industrial sub-sectors represent a disproportionate 46% water use. 18.9 km3 (±3.2%) water saving in industry and 50.3 km3 (±2.3%) in agriculture could be achieved, equivalent to Russia’s annual demand. A minority of sectors, including cloth(ing)- and chemical-manufacturing, rice-, vegetable- and fruit-cultivation, could contribute the most to water savings. Our study is essential for identifying water use and efficiency information for individual prefectures and sectors.

AB - Water scarcity is a global challenge in many emerging economies, including China. China is one of the most extensive freshwater users and has set water efficiency improvement goals for 2030 at the prefecture level. However, no systematic water use and savings comparison exists across prefectures and sectors. Here, we used datasets of water withdrawal for 10,608 industrial and 1715 agricultural sub-sectors for 343 prefectures, and explored the opportunities to reduce water use. Results show that 10% of the least water-efficient industrial sub-sectors represent a disproportionate 46% water use. 18.9 km3 (±3.2%) water saving in industry and 50.3 km3 (±2.3%) in agriculture could be achieved, equivalent to Russia’s annual demand. A minority of sectors, including cloth(ing)- and chemical-manufacturing, rice-, vegetable- and fruit-cultivation, could contribute the most to water savings. Our study is essential for identifying water use and efficiency information for individual prefectures and sectors.

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SN - 2662-4435

VL - 6

JO - Communications Earth and Environment

JF - Communications Earth and Environment

IS - 1

M1 - 349

ER -

Water-saving strategies across prefectures should target the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in China

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