Water Availability in China's Oases Decreased Between 1987 and 2017. Issue 4 (21st April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Peng; Wang, Shuai; Liu, Yanxu; Wang, Yijia; Wang, Yaping; Zhang, Tiegang; Zhang, Haoyu; Yao, Ying; Song, Jiaxi
• Is Part Of: Earth's future. Volume 11:Issue 4(2023)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2023-04-21
• Subjects: oasis -- crop water demand -- water balance -- water availability -- drylands; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences; Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1029/2022EF003340
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2328-4277

Abstract

Abstract: The significant expansion of China's oases during recent decades has inevitably increased water demand, profoundly affecting the regional water budget. While streamflow and precipitation have increased in China's oases under climate change, it remains uncertain whether this augmented water supply will suffice to meet the increasing water demand of oases, presenting a great challenge to guarantee regional water security. Here we used a process‐based crop water model, oasis land use datasets, vegetation maps, and observational data on streamflow and grain production to estimate the impacts of China's oasis dynamics on regional water resources from 1987 to 2017. We found that the water demand in oases significantly increased during 1987–2017, and oasis areas that have existed since 1987 accounted for a greater proportion of the increased water demand than newly expanded oasis areas. Although increases in precipitation and streamflow largely offset the additional water demand, 60.3% of counties in oasis regions experienced a decrease in water availability after 1987 because of a spatiotemporal mismatch between water supply and demand, and some counties suffered water deficits. Our findings provide a quantified basis for identifying and optimizing water use structures for water security in oases. Plain Language Summary: The significant expansion of China's oases during recent decades has profoundly affected the regional water budget. We conducted comprehensive assessments of the impacts of China's oasis dynamics on regional water resources. Our results indicate that water demand in oases significantly increased from 1987 to 2017, and although increases in precipitation and streamflow provided substantial compensation, 60.3% of counties in the oasis region still experienced a decline in water availability. These findings provide a quantified basis for optimizing water use structures in oases and effectively managing regional water resources. Key Points: The water demand of China's oases underwent a significant increase from 1987 to 2017 The rapidly increasing water demand has caused a decline in available water in 60.32% of oasis counties Streamflow is the primary driver of water availability dynamics in 72.22% of oasis counties