Steady increase in water clarity in Jiaozhou Bay in the Yellow Sea from 2000 to 2018:Observations from MODIS

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)surface reflectance data were used to analyze the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of water clarity(Z_(sd))in the Jiaozhou Bay,Qingdao,China,in the Yellow Sea from 2000 to 2018.Z_(sd)retrieval models were regionally optimized using in-situ data with coincident MODIS images,and then were used to retrieve the Z_(sd) products in Jiaozhou Bay from 2000-2018.The analysis of the Z_(sd) results suggests that the spatial distribution of relative Z_(sd) spatial characteristics in Jiaozhou Bay was stable,being higher Z_(sd) in the southeast and a lower Z_(sd) in the northwest.The annual mean Z_(sd) in Jiaozhou Bay showed a significant upward trend,with an annual increase of approximately 0.02 m.Water depth and wind speed were important factors affecting the spatial distribution and annual variation of Z_(sd) in Jiaozhou Bay,respectively.

Drinking water safety improvement and future challenge of lakes and reservoirs

To meet the Sustainable Development Goal(SDG)target 6.1,China has undertaken significant initiatives to address the uneven distribution of water resources and to enhance water quality.Since 2000,China has invested heavily in the water infrastructure of numerous reservoirs,with a total storage capacity increase of 4.704×1011m3(an increase of 90.8%).These reservoirs have significantly enhanced the available freshwater resources for drinking water.Concurrently,efforts to improve water quality in lakes and reservoirs,facilitated by nationwide water quality monitoring,have been successful.As a result,an increasing lakes and reservoirs are designated as centralized drinking water sources(CDWSs)in China.Among the 3441 CDWSs across all provinces,40.8%are sourced from lakes and reservoirs,32.6%from rivers,and 26.6%from groundwater in 2023.Notably,from 2016 to 2023,the percentage of lakes and reservoirs categorized as CDWSs has increased consistently across all 29 provinces.This progress has enabled561.4 million urban residents to access improved drinking water sources in 2022,compared to 303.4 million in 2004.Our findings underscore the pivotal role of water infrastructure construction and water quality improvement jointly promoting lakes and reservoirs as vital drinking water sources.Nevertheless,the nationwide occurrence of algal blooms has surged by 113.7%from the 2000s to the 2010s,which is a considerable challenge to drinking water safety.Fortunately,algal blooms have been markedly alleviated in past four years.However,it is still crucial to acknowledge that lakes and reservoirs face the challenges of algal blooms,and associated toxic microcystin and odor compounds.