Open AccessC hina's food security is threatened by the unsustainable use of water resources in N orth and N orthwest C hina
Author(s) -
Du Taisheng,
Kang Shaozhong,
Zhang Xiying,
Zhang Jianhua
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
food and energy security
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 25
ISSN - 2048-3694
DOI - 10.1002/fes3.40
Subject(s) - threatened species , food security , water resources , agriculture , sustainability , irrigation , environmental protection , agricultural economics , natural resource economics , environmental science , ecology , biology , economics , habitat
C hina has a growing population of 1.35 billion at the moment and has been largely self‐sufficient in its food production. In consideration of the major agricultural resources (land, available fresh water, and ambient temperature), C hina is actually very vulnerable in maintaining its food security. Due to the unfavorable distributions of its water resources and temperature conditions, almost all the land that can be cropped has been utilized. Over cropping and over irrigation has led to some serious problems in two major areas of this country. In N orthwest C hina where most of the land belongs to the inland river system, over expanding of irrigated area has resulted in some serious ecological problems, such as shrinking of oasis and desertification of grasslands. In North C hina Plain where about half of the country's wheat and maize are produced, over cropping has been supplemented with underground water for several decades, which has led to fast drop of underground water table, for example, 0.88 m per year in the recent 30 years at L uancheng County. C hina's food security is threatened by its diminishing and unsustainable use of water resources. Integrative agronomic, biological, engineering, and administrative practices that can sustainably use the water resources will be the key ways out to secure the country's future food production.