Provincial resilience differences of water cycle in China over the past two decades

Water cycle resilience represents a vital part of sustainable water resources management for a region with severe water vulnerability issues. However, despite their importance, a current lack of systematic monitoring mechanisms has contributed to an insufficient grasp of their distribution in relation to water resources management practices, as well as their vulnerability to climate change and human impacts. This study develops a naturesociety water cycle resilience index that integrates recover and supplement to water vulnerability, which is applied in the case study of China. The results indicate that the comprehensive level of water cycle resilience in China has been constantly improving in the past two decades, whilst varies significantly among provinces in water resources management performance and serious vulnerability issues. This study provides useful references for countries or large-scale regions around the world to promote resilience and sustainability in water resources planning and policy.