Global Study Uncovers Rapid Rise in Freshwater Use for Material Production

An international team of researchers has revealed a critical yet largely overlooked environmental challenge: the vast and rapidly expanding freshwater footprint linked to the production of industrial materials. Published recently in Nature Sustainability, this pioneering study systematically quantifies the “blue water footprint” embedded in the manufacture of globally essential materials such as steel, cement, paper, plastics, and rubber. The findings expose an alarming doubling of freshwater consumption within industrial production systems from 1995 through 2021, a trend with profound implications for water management in an increasingly water-stressed world.

The era now widely recognized as the Anthropocene marks humanity’s unparalleled influence over Earth’s systems, none more conspicuous than the depletion of freshwater resources. Historically, agriculture has been the predominant user of blue water—surface and groundwater extracted from rivers, lakes, and aquifers. However, rapid industrialization, urban growth, and economic expansion, especially in burgeoning economies across East and South Asia and Oceania, have propelled industrial water use into a realm of heightened environmental urgency.

A significant impediment to addressing industrial water consumption has been the limited focus in research on the virtual water embedded in material production compared to the considerable attention devoted to food and agricultural products. Virtual water refers to the total volume of freshwater used during the raw material extraction, processing, and manufacturing stages that culminate in final products. These researchers have bridged this knowledge gap by conducting a comprehensive analysis covering 16 critical metallic and non-metallic materials across 164 countries, providing unprecedented granularity in assessing water usage patterns and regional disparities.

The study’s results paint a stark picture. Between 1995 and 2021, the blue water footprint of material production surged from 25.1 billion cubic meters to 50.7 billion cubic meters—a doubling that escalated its share of global freshwater consumption from 2.8 percent to 4.7 percent. This dramatic increase occurred predominantly in rapidly industrializing regions such as East and South Asia and Oceania, where the water footprint ballooned by 267 percent. Meanwhile, OECD countries recorded an 11 percent decrease, underscoring significant geographical contrasts in industrial water management practices.

Steel emerges from the analysis as the dominant water-intensive material, responsible for nearly 40 percent of the global blue water footprint in 2021. The water demands of steel production are intricately linked to processes such as ore beneficiation, cooling during smelting, and dust suppression, each of which requires substantial quantities of freshwater. Paper manufacturing follows as the second largest water consumer at 18 percent, with plastics trailing at 9 percent. Aluminium and cement production, while increasing rapidly, currently constitute smaller portions but represent significant potential areas of concern as demand escalates.

The findings yield critical insights for policymakers and industrial strategists. Dr. Asaf Tzachor, Vice Dean of the School of Sustainability at Reichman University and a leading author of the study, emphasizes the emergent water-materials nexus — where material production and water resource management intersect. The mounting competition for freshwater necessitates this integrated approach, particularly in regions already facing severe water scarcity. Without concerted action, the unchecked expansion of material production threatens to exacerbate global water crises and undermine industrial resilience.

Professor Heming Wang of Northeastern University, a co-author, accentuates the dual nature of water management as both an environmental imperative and an industrial prerequisite. Efficient water use is not solely a conservation effort but a critical factor in economic sustainability. Enhancing water productivity in material manufacturing can mitigate ecological degradation while safeguarding the economic growth trajectories of rapidly developing economies.

Projections included in the research underscore the looming trajectory of water demand. If current trends persist without major systemic shifts, the water footprint of materials such as plastics, cement, steel, aluminium, and copper could grow by as much as 179 percent by 2050 compared to 2021 levels. This would elevate their collective share of global freshwater use to nearly 9 percent, a figure that poses challenges for sustainable development and resource security.

The study spotlights specific geographic hotspots where intervention could yield pronounced benefits. Nations like India, Kazakhstan, and Turkey exemplify regions where high water footprints intersect with escalating industrial activity and water scarcity. Here, targeted strategies that improve water efficiency and promote technological innovation in material production could substantially reduce water conflicts and enhance sustainability.

Longer-term solutions suggested by the authors include policy mechanisms to incentivize cleaner production and water-saving technologies. Subsidies, tax incentives, and financial support for research and development in water-efficient industrial processes emerge as essential tools to recalibrate the water consumption patterns of material production globally.

This comprehensive quantification of industrial water footprints introduces a new dimension to environmental sustainability discourse. By illuminating the hidden water costs of the materials underpinning modern economies, the study challenges established paradigms and calls for an urgent reconfiguration of industrial practices and global production strategies.

Dr. Tzachor underscores the consequences of inaction: “Failure to embed water considerations within the global supply chains of material production risks compounding water scarcity crises and escalating industrial vulnerabilities. The time to act decisively and collectively is now.” Such a paradigm shift will require collaboration across governments, industries, and civil society to harness the full potential of sustainable water stewardship in the Anthropocene.

The research team’s findings thus resonate not only as a wake-up call but also as a roadmap for integrating water resource management into industrial policy frameworks. As economies continue to grow and urbanize, the imperative to align material demand with sustainable water use becomes increasingly crucial to safeguarding ecological integrity and economic viability worldwide.

News Publication Date: 30-Oct-2025

Web References: 10.1038/s41893-025-01661-2

References: Not provided