Liu et al. (2026) An integrated framework for characterizing spatiotemporal dynamics of water footprints, water scarcities, water quantity–quality interdependences and coupled risks in a semiarid river basin

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-15
• Authors: Shuai Liu, Zhiwei Yue, Wei Wang, Xiangkun Zhao, Zhibin Li, La Zhuo
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136244

Research Groups

• State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
• Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100, China
• College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Short Summary

This study develops an integrated framework to characterize spatiotemporal dynamics of water footprints, water scarcities, water quantity-quality interdependences, and coupled risks in a semiarid river basin. The framework reveals clear differences among water scarcity types and their spatial-temporal patterns.

Objective

• Investigate the interactions between water quantity and quality-induced water scarcities in time and space.
• Develop an integrated framework to quantify and characterize water footprints, water scarcities, and coupled risks in a semiarid river basin.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Basin scale (Jing River Basin)
• Temporal Scale: 2016–2022

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), water footprint theory, Copula functions
• Data sources: Monthly records of hydrological and environmental variables from 2016 to 2022

Main Results

• Clear spatiotemporal differences among water scarcity types were observed.
• Green water scarcity mainly occurred during the crop growing season (May–October), whereas blue water scarcity was concentrated in the dry season (November–April).
• Quality-induced water scarcity showed weak seasonality and stronger control by local conditions.

Contributions

• This study provides an integrated approach to constrain SWAT-based simulations and characterizes the non-linear dependence between water quantity and quality across varying hydrological scenarios.
• The findings support a transition toward coupled quantity-quality management, providing actionable intelligence for spatially targeted agricultural interventions.

Funding

• This research was supported by the State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control (Grant No. [not specified]).

Citation

@article{Liu2026integrated,
  author = {Liu, Shuai and Yue, Zhiwei and Wang, Wei and Zhao, Xiangkun and Li, Zhibin and Zhuo, La},
  title = {An integrated framework for characterizing spatiotemporal dynamics of water footprints, water scarcities, water quantity–quality interdependences and coupled risks in a semiarid river basin},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136244},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136244}
}