Topic
Water efficiency
About: Water efficiency is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 993 publications have been published within this topic receiving 13931 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a global effort to ensure that freshwater ecosystems receive the quantity, quality, and timing of flows needed for them to perform their ecological functions and to work toward a goal of doubling water productivity.
Abstract: Fresh water is a renewable resource, but it is also finite. Around the world, there are now numerous signs that human water use exceeds sustainable levels. Groundwater depletion, low or nonexistent river flows, and worsening pollution levels are among the more obvious indicators of water stress. In many areas, extracting more water for human uses jeopardizes the health of vital aquatic ecosystems. Satisfying the increased demands for food, water, and material goods of a growing global population while at the same time protecting the ecological services provided by natural water ecosystems requires new ap- proaches to using and managing fresh water. In this article, I propose a global effort (1) to ensure that freshwater ecosystems receive the quantity, quality, and timing of flows needed for them to perform their ecological functions and (2) to work toward a goal of doubling water productivity. Meeting these challenges will require policies that promote rather than discourage water efficiency, as well as new partnerships that cross disciplinary and professional boundaries.
792 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate options, stimuli and difficulties to improve water-efficient practices by using knowledge exchange between farmers and resource managers to identify scope for improvements and to share greater responsibility across the entire water supply chain.
544 citations
TL;DR: In this article, tree-ring data covering 150 years from tropical forests show that water-use efficiency has increased with CO2 concentrations but tree growth has not, while increasing CO2 concentration is expected to increase plant growth and water efficiency.
Abstract: Increasing CO2 concentrations are expected to increase plant growth and water efficiency. Tree-ring data covering 150 years from tropical forests show that water-use efficiency has increased with CO2 concentrations but tree growth has not.
453 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors quantify the scale and structure of virtual water trade and consumption-based water footprints at the provincial level in China based on a multi-regional input-output model.
422 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a comprehensive review about the current challenges related to food security and hidden hunger and present issues according to major factors, such as growing population, changing dietary habits, water efficiency, climate change and volatile food prices.
Abstract: The aim of the present research is to provide a comprehensive review about the current challenges related to food security and hidden hunger. Issues are presented according to major factors, such as growing population, changing dietary habits, water efficiency, climate change and volatile food prices. These factors were compiled from reports of major international organizations and from relevant scientific articles on the subject. Collecting the results and presenting them in an accessible manner may provide new insight for interested parties. Accessibility of data is extremely important, since food security and its drivers form a closely interconnected but extremely complex network, which requires coordinated problem solving to resolve issues. According to the results, the demand for growing agricultural products has been partly met by increasing cultivated land in recent decades. At the same time, there is serious competition for existing agricultural areas, which further limits the extension of agricultural land in addition to the natural constraints of land availability. Agricultural production needs to expand faster than population growth without further damage to the environment. The driving force behind development is sustainable intensive farming, which means the more effective utilization of agricultural land and water resources. Current global trends in food consumption are unsustainable, analyzed in terms of either public health, environmental impacts or socio-economic costs. The growing population should strive for sustainable food consumption, as social, environmental and health impacts are very important in this respect as well. To this end, the benefits of consuming foods that are less harmful to the environment during production are also to be emphasized in the scope of consumption policy and education related to nutrition as opposed to other food types, the production of which causes a major demand for raw materials.
416 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2022 | 34 |
| 2021 | 72 |
| 2020 | 56 |