Global patterns of reservoir sedimentation and overlooked risks in small reservoirs

Nature Sustainability 2026 Open access

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Authors: Kai Liu, Chenyu Fan, Chunqiao Song, Jim Best, Jida Wang, Linghong Ke, Yoshihide Wada, Dongfeng Li, Yamazaki Dai, Anjun Deng, Jiaming Na, Md Safat Sikder
+1 more R Iestyn Woolway
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01859-y
Cited by: 1
References: 65

Abstract

Reservoir sedimentation is an escalating threat to global water security. While most existing assessments focus on large, well-managed reservoirs, they overlook the vast and vulnerable network of smaller reservoirs, which hampers our understanding of global sedimentation risks. Here we present a high-resolution global assessment of reservoir sedimentation in over 550,000 reservoirs, ~95% of which are

Fields of Study & Subjects

Fish Ecology and Management Studies Water resources management and optimization Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Nature Sustainability
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
9
Issue
9
Pages
1325–1337
Publication date
5 June 2026
Language
EN