China’s Urban Water Utilization Based on the Water Footprint Methodology

In the context of sustainable economic development, the current dilemma of water utilization can be resolved by improving water utilization and achieving an excellent decoupling state between economic growth and water utilization. The utilization of water resources is closely related to the economy of China’s capital cities, and the coordinated relationship between the two plays an essential role in the sustainable development of the capital cities. Therefore, to comprehensively evaluate the water resource utilization of China’s cities from 2011 to 2020, this study selects 21 cities in Northwest China, North China, Northeast China, Central China, Southwest China, South China, and East China. It analyzes them using the water footprint method by selecting indicators and combining them with the decoupling model. The study shows that (1) the water footprint of the cities in the seven regions are different, with a total water footprint of 5793.98 × 108 m3, with cities in the Southwest region of China having the most significant water footprint of 1239.69 × 108 m3, accounting for about 21.40%. At the same time, the region with the most minor water footprint is Northwest China, with 343.30 × 108 m3, accounting for only 6%. Industrial and agricultural water use account for a comparable proportion of the water footprint structure, and both use a more considerable amount of water. (2) North China is most dependent on imported water resources at 61.24%. In comparison, Central China has the lowest dependence on imported water resources at 19.19%, and several other regions have a higher degree of reliance on water resources in their regions. The value of economic benefits generated by the water footprints of the seven regions is more extensive, and the net trade value of the water footprints of North China and Northeast China is negative, which belongs to the water resources exporting places. (3) The decoupling status of cities in the seven regions is poor, and the solid negative decoupling with the worst decoupling status occurs more often. The relationship between water resources utilization and economic development is not coordinated, and the efficiency of water resources utilization needs to be improved.