Energy for water utilization in China and policy implications for integrated planning

China is a country with acute water problems caused by increasing demand, uneven spatial and temporal distribution of water resources, and water quality deterioration. These issues are exacerbating the country’s water scarcity. Meanwhile, demand for both traditional and non-traditional water resources continues to rise, driven by the country’s rapid economic expansion and industrialization.

To meet growing water demand, energy used for extraction, transportation and treatment is increasing significantly. While projects such as deep ground-water pumping, long-distance water transfer and seawater desalination are adding crucial supplies of fresh water, they are consuming an ever-greater amount of energy.

Although a good understanding of the water and energy interlinkages is important for integrated water and energy policy analysis and planning, study of the water–energy nexus in China is still in its infancy.

In this study, data from multiple sources are compiled and used to calculate energy consumption for different processes of water utilization in China, including water abstraction, treatment and distribution, as well as wastewater treatment and reuse.

It is noteworthy that long-distance inter-basin water transfer projects that alter the water supply structure and the so-called Three Red Lines water management strategy, which mandates strict limits on water utilization and pollutant discharge, are two fundamental policy instruments being used by the Chinese government to cope with geographic imbalance in water resources and water shortage.

A better understanding of water–energy linkages will provide valuable insights on these policy instruments and offer possible options for policy reforms involving water conservation strategies, water supply structure changes and technical solutions, which, in turn, will contribute to achieving the goal of low-energy water utilization in the future.