Balancing Nutrients in Water Systems and Agriculture in China: a Multi-scale Modelling Approach

Samenvatting

Water pollution caused by nutrients and its adverse impacts in China affect 1.4 billion of the global population. Agriculture has not only been the priority of China’s central government to ensure food security but it has also been the dominant source of nutrient pollution in the water systems of China. This thesis aims to quantify in-stream nutrient pollution in Chinese surface waters at multiple spatial scales and to assess the effect of associated agricultural management strategies on future pollution reduction including impacts of climate change.

The findings of my thesis contribute to give spatially-explicit insights on how to balance nutrient use in agricultural system and nutrient pollution in water systems. These findings will hopefully contribute to the development of region-specific environmental policies for water pollution control and agricultural management in China.