Water, environment and food security: a case study of the Haihe River basin in China

The Haihe River basin is one of the most developed regions in China. With the rapid economic development and associated increases in water demand, the river basin has been enduring increasing water stress. Water for the ecosystem use has been compromised and the environment has been deteriorating. Water shortage has become a bottleneck to the further development of the economy and grain production, particularly wheat. This paper analyses the interrelationship between water scarcity, food security and environment sustainability at the river basin level. The magnitude of sectoral water deficits at present and in the coming years is assessed with reference to the existing projections. The feasibility and the scale of transferring the Yangtze River water to the north are discussed. An alternative river basin water allocation scenario is developed taking into consideration food production, environmental objectives, virtual water trade and inter-river basin water transfer.