Uncovering structural characteristics of virtual water flow network in India

India plays a pivotal role in global water resource management. Existing studies have not well characterized structural characteristics of virtual water flow network in India (e.g., critical sectors, transactions, and supply chain paths) in the context of global supply chains. This may impede the efficiency of policy measures on the mitigation of India's water shortage. This study identified critical transmission sectors, intersectoral transactions, supply chain paths, and communities of India's virtual water flow network, by combining the global environmentally extended multi-regional input-output model, structural path analysis, betweenness concept, and community detection method. Results show that in addition to domestic water-intensive sectors, the transmission sectors, intersectoral transactions, and supply chain paths associated with domestic service sectors (e.g., the "Hotel and restaurant services" and "Other land transportation services" sectors) and foreign sectors (mainly chemical industries, light industries, and services in large manufacturing entities) also play important roles in transmitting India's water uses. The importance of critical transmission sectors and transactions related to foreign regions (e.g., the rest of Asia-Pacific Region and China) have increased significantly during 1995-2020. Moreover, major communities mostly involve sectors from different regions. These findings can provide hotspots for India's water resource management in terms of improving the productivity and strengthening the interregional and intersectoral cooperation.