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Accounting for interactions between Sustainable Development Goals is essential for water pollution control in China

Author

Listed:
  • Mengru Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Wageningen University & Research)

  • Annette B. G. Janssen

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Jeanne Bazin

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Maryna Strokal

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Lin Ma

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Carolien Kroeze

    (Wageningen University & Research)

Abstract

Meeting the United Nations’ (UN’s) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has become a worldwide mission. How these SDGs interrelate, however, is not well known. We assess the interactions between SDGs for the case of water pollution by nutrients in China. The results show 319 interactions between SDGs for clean water (SDGs 6 and 14) and other SDGs, of which 286 are positive (synergies) and 33 are negative (tradeoffs) interactions. We analyze six scenarios in China accounting for the cobenefits of water pollution control using a large-scale water quality model. We consider scenarios that benefit from synergies and avoid tradeoffs. Our results show that effective pollution control requires accounting for the interactions between SDGs. For instance, combining improved nutrient management, efficient food consumption, and climate mitigation is effective for simultaneously meeting SDGs 6 and 14 as well as other SDGs for food, cities and climate. Our study serves as an example of assessing SDG interactions in environmental policies in China as well as in other regions of the world.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengru Wang & Annette B. G. Janssen & Jeanne Bazin & Maryna Strokal & Lin Ma & Carolien Kroeze, 2022. "Accounting for interactions between Sustainable Development Goals is essential for water pollution control in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28351-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28351-3
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    10. Min Cao & Min Chen & Junze Zhang & Prajal Pradhan & Huadong Guo & Bojie Fu & Yue Li & Yuying Bai & Lijiao Chang & Yu Chen & Zhongchang Sun & Zhenci Xu & Rui Zhu & Michael E. Meadows & Guonian Lü, 2023. "Spatio-temporal changes in the causal interactions among Sustainable Development Goals in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
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    12. Jun Zhao & Guohua Fang & Xue Wang & Huayu Zhong, 2024. "Joint Optimization of Urban Water Quantity and Quality Allocation in the Plain River Network Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-17, February.
    13. Meiqian Chen & Lei Gao & Zhaoxia Guo & Yucheng Dong & Enayat A. Moallemi & Yinfeng Xu & Ke Li & Wenhao Lin & Jing Yang & Weijun Xu & Matteo Pedercini & Brett A. Bryan, 2024. "A cost-effective climate mitigation pathway for China with co-benefits for sustainability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Yuanhui Wang & Changqing Song & Peichao Gao, 2024. "Quantification of systemic importance of SDGs in Asian‐African countries: A network hierarchy analysis," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 3133-3146, August.
    15. Rongrong Li & Haixin Zhang & Yali Hou & Lingyan Gao & Dake Chu & Mingming Zhang, 2025. "Metallacage-crosslinked free-standing supramolecular networks via photo-induced copolymerization for photocatalytic water decontamination," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Xinbei Huang & Chengming Ye & Hongyu Tao & Junjie Zou & Yuzhan Zhou & Shufan Zheng, 2024. "Integrating Future Multi-Scenarios to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Ecological Restoration: A Case Study of the Yellow River Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, July.
    17. Safa Baccour & Gerwin Goelema & Taher Kahil & Jose Albiac & Michelle T. H. Vliet & Xueqin Zhu & Maryna Strokal, 2024. "Water quality management could halve future water scarcity cost-effectively in the Pearl River Basin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    18. Huijuan Xiao & Sheng Bao & Jingzheng Ren & Zhenci Xu & Song Xue & Jianguo Liu, 2024. "Global transboundary synergies and trade-offs among Sustainable Development Goals from an integrated sustainability perspective," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Jiayi Hua & Rachael Z. Cooper & Pablo K. Cornejo & Sarina J. Ergas & Qiong Zhang, 2024. "A Holistic Sustainability Assessment Framework for Evaluating Strategies to Prevent Nutrient Pollution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-13, June.
    20. Muhammad Adnan & Baohua Xiao & Peiwen Xiao & Peng Zhao & Shaheen Bibi, 2022. "Heavy Metal, Waste, COVID-19, and Rapid Industrialization in This Modern Era—Fit for Sustainable Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, April.
    21. Mengxuan Yan & Yuhong Tian & Lizhu Wu & Huichao Zheng, 2024. "Analyzing the Spatiotemporal Pattern and Interaction of SDGs for Sustainable Development in Inner Mongolia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-22, August.
    22. You Li & Huan Tao & Hongying Cao & Xiaoming Wan & Xiaoyong Liao, 2024. "Achieving synergistic benefits through integrated governance of cultivated cadmium contamination via multistakeholder collaboration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    23. Ke Li & Lei Gao & Zhaoxia Guo & Yucheng Dong & Enayat A. Moallemi & Gang Kou & Meiqian Chen & Wenhao Lin & Qi Liu & Michael Obersteiner & Matteo Pedercini & Brett A. Bryan, 2024. "Safeguarding China’s long-term sustainability against systemic disruptors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    24. Kexin Yi & Chao Li & Shaogang Hu & Xiayu Yuan & Bruce E. Logan & Wulin Yang, 2025. "High H2O2 production in membrane-free electrolyzer via anodic bubble shielding towards robust rural disinfection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    25. Jiangyang Lin & Yuanhong Tian & Qian Yao & Yong Shi, 2023. "Structural Characteristics of Intergovernmental Water Pollution Control Cooperation Networks Using Social Network Analysis and GIS in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-18, September.

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