Land Use Change and Its Influence on Water Resource Pressure

Abstract

In recent years, the global land use pattern has changed significantly. Urban land has expanded, agricultural land use has adjusted, forest areas have changed, and arable land abandonment has become increasingly frequent. These changes have far-reaching impacts on regional water resources systems. This paper systematizes the main types of land use change and the manifestations of water resource pressure. It reveals three main paths through which land use change affects water resource systems. These paths are the increase of impermeable surfaces, the decrease of forest cover, and the expansion of agriculture. As a result, pressure on water quantity, water quality, and water ecology is triggered. On this basis, two typical cases are selected. One is the Beijing mega-city cluster, and the other is the agricultural area in northern India. The study analyzes the response mechanism of water resources systems driven by urbanization expansion and irrigated agriculture. The results show clear impacts. In Beijing, the expansion of urban construction land has led to more surface runoff. At the same time, groundwater recharge has decreased. This has put the regional water resources system’s carrying capacity under serious challenge. In northern India, agricultural expansion and high-intensity irrigation water use have caused long-term over-exploitation of groundwater. The trend of regional groundwater depletion continues to worsen. Research indicates effective solutions. Rational optimization of land use structure, regulation of water use, and strengthening of water ecological restoration are important ways. It can alleviate water resource pressure and enhance the sustainable use of regional water resources.