The Growing Freshwater Footprint of Industry: Effects Vary by Location

 

     Industry uses a lot of water. A new study shows growing demand for freshwater in industries producing steel, cement, paper, plastics, and rubber. One might add oil, gas, chemicals, thermal power plants, and many other industries to the list. These industries may stress water balances in areas where water is scarce, and they also produce wastewater of different levels of potential toxicity. Agriculture remains the top user of freshwater, but industrial freshwater use is growing.

“The work assesses the "blue water footprint" (WFblue)—the freshwater drawn from rivers and aquifers—of 16 key metallic and non-metallic materials across 164 countries and regions between 1995 and 2021.”

     The study, by researchers at Reichman University in Israel, focused on the water footprint of materials production, specifically of steel, cement, paper, plastics, and rubber. They found that the global freshwater footprint for producing these materials doubled from 25.1 billion cubic meters in 1995 to 50.7 billion cubic meters in 2021. East and South Asia and Oceania saw the steepest rise, with water footprints surging by 267%. The paper was published in Nature Sustainability.

     The study highlights the need for regions with water scarcity to manage industrial water usage:

“Professor Heming Wang, from the State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Northeastern University, and a co-author of the study, emphasized the broader environmental and industrial context, stating, "Our analysis shows that managing water efficiently is not only an environmental necessity but also an industrial imperative. In rapidly developing economies, improving water productivity in material manufacturing can deliver both ecological and economic benefits. Integrating water efficiency into industrial planning is now essential to ensure sustainable growth."

     Of the materials assessed, steel production had the highest water usage, accounting for 40%, followed by paper at 18% and plastic at 9%. Aluminum and cement production had lower water footprints. They also found that OECD countries reduced their WFblue by 11%, but East and South Asia and Oceania accounted for more than two-thirds of global use by 2021. China has the highest industrial freshwater use, and it will be imperative for the country to manage it better.

     I will note that freshwater withdrawal is often a regional issue, since water abundance or scarcity varies by region. Regions vary in the availability of both surface water and groundwater. Water quality may also vary by region and conditions particular to a region.  

 

 

References:

 

Global study reveals soaring freshwater demand in material production. by Reichman University. edited by Stephanie Baum, reviewed by Robert Egan. Phys.org. November 3, 2025. Global study reveals soaring freshwater demand in material production

Doubling of the global freshwater footprint of material production over two decades. Yao Wang, Fengmei Ma, Heming Wang, Asaf Tzachor, Meng Jiang, Kai Fang, Sai Liang, Bing Zhu, Edgar G. Hertwich, Manfred Lenzen, Heinz Schandl & Stephan Lutter. Nature Sustainability (October 30, 2025). Doubling of the global freshwater footprint of material production over two decades | Nature Sustainability