Burden shifting of water quantity and quality stress from megacity Shanghai

Abstract

Much attention has been paid to burden shifting of CO2 emissions from developed regions to developing regions through trade. However, less discussed is that trade also acts as a mechanism enabling wealthy consumers to shift water quantity and quality stress to their trading partners. In this study, we investigate how Shanghai, the largest megacity in China, draws water resources from all over China and outsources its pollution through virtual quantity and quality water flows associated with trade. The results show that Shanghai's consumption of goods and services in 2007 led to 11.6 billion m3 of freshwater consumption, 796 thousand tons of COD, and 16.2 thousand tons of NH3‐N in discharged wastewater. Of this, 79% of freshwater consumption, 82.9% of COD and 82.5% of NH3‐N occurred in other Chinese Provinces which provide goods and services to Shanghai. Thirteen Provinces with severe and extreme water quantity stress accounted for 60% of net virtual water import to Shanghai, while 19 Provinces experiencing water quality stress endured 79% of net COD outsourcing and 75.5% of net NH3‐N outsourcing from Shanghai. In accordance with the three “redlines” recently put forward by the Chinese central government to control water pollution and cap total water use in all provinces, we suggest that Shanghai should share its responsibility for reducing water quantity and quality stress in its trading partners through taking measures at provincial, industrial, and consumer levels. In the meantime, Shanghai needs to enhance demand side management by promoting low water intensity consumption.

Fresh Submarine Groundwater Discharge to the Near‐Global Coast

“…Some of these densely populated regions include cities like Shanghai and Los Angeles, which already face water management challenges. Shanghai has experienced intense water shortage and leans heavily on surrounding provinces for its water supply (Zhao et al, ). Los Angeles is projected to have the greatest surface water deficit of all cities by 2050 (Flörke et al, ) and uses groundwater to stabilize its water insecurity.…”

“…SGD = submarine groundwater discharge. (Zhao et al, 2016). Los Angeles is projected to have the greatest surface water deficit of all cities by 2050 (Flörke et al, 2018) and uses groundwater to stabilize its water insecurity.…”

Water footprint assessment considering intermediate products: model and a 2016 case study of China

“…; Zhao et al . ). If we want to understand the real WF of imported products, similar multiple EIO‐LCA studies should be implemented from the perspective of their places of production.…”

“…; Cohen & Ramaswami ; Zhao et al . ). The implementation and assessment of intermediate products is achieved by the summation of intermediate and final products, which does not show the internal distribution of VW in the production process.…”

Geographical Evolution of Agricultural Production in China and Its Effects on Water Stress, Economy, and the Environment: The Virtual Water Perspective

“…Quantitative analysis of the associated effects of grain virtual water flow on the regional economy, the environment, and water resources is still inadequate. Meanwhile, most researchers have typically taken one or more typical years in their case studies (Liu et al, ; Oita et al, ; Sun, Lu, et al, ; Zhao et al, ), which cannot reflect the interaction between virtual water flow and regional water, economics and environmental systems, and the dynamic process of the coupled systems adequately. This study assessed the long‐term dynamic changes of interregional virtual water trade in China and its associated effects by using virtual water theory.…”