# A triple increase in global river basins with water scarcity due to future pollution

*PRI Rank #2 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/hydrology-and-watershed-management-studies/2026/rank-2*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #2 |
| 18m citations | 235 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41467-024-44947-3 |
| Corresponding authors | Mengru Wang |
| Institution | Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/hydrology-and-watershed-management-studies/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41467-024-44947-3](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44947-3)

## Topics

water scarcity · nitrogen pollution · water quality-induced scarcity · quantity-induced scarcity · sub-basin scale assessment · land-system models · Hydrological models · Water quality modeling · Hybrid modeling · river basins · clean-water scarcity · future water security projections · 2050 scenario analysis · urbanization impacts · agricultural pollution · global water assessment · Sustainable Development Goals · water management policies

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/hydrology-and-watershed-management-studies/2026. Accessed 2026-07-29.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```