Status quo of Water Science & Technology Development in China and Abroad

Abstract

The knowledge of water cycle process is the basis for water science & technology development. “Water” being of multiple properties and functions with regard to environment, ecology, economy, society, and culture, etc. has surpassed any other natural resources in supporting socio-economic development and maintaining eco-system integrity and biodiversity. However, water resource is of duality of advantage and disadvantage. Too much water would result in floods and water logging and too little water would cause drought. Water pollution may lead to environmental degradation. The abnormal change of water quantity and quality could affect and even damage the ecosystem; to exploit and utilize water resource in the scientific and rational manner is beneficial to promoting the sustainability of water resource, whereas the irrational exploitation and use of water resource could exacerbate various water issues. Water cycle forms the “blood circulation system” of the biosphere. There are multiple bio-physical linkages between land, water, and ecosystem with water cycle being the basis to realize those links. However, human activities have interfered in the natural water cycle (by adding social water cycle on it) making great impact on those bio-physical links. It is worth to point out that water has played an extremely important role in environmental degradation, though it has been overlooked by many (Fu Bojie, et al., 2005).