A Bibliometric Analysis on Water Footprint in Industry: Global Research Trends and Mapping of Scientific Networks

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the development and intellectual structure of global scientific production on the Water Footprint (WF) in industry through bibliometric methods. A total of 3,052 research and review articles published up to 22.12.2025 and indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database were included in the analysis. Publication trends, citation performance, and scientific collaboration structures were evaluated using performance analysis and science mapping approaches. Co-authorship, co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, and bibliographic coupling analyses were visualized using VOSviewer software. The findings indicate that literature on industrial WF has seen an increase since 2020 with its highest number of publications anticipated for the year 2025 at about 485 articles based on current trends. This growth reflects the increasing recognition of water footprint assessment as a key instrument for cleaner production, resource efficiency, and sustainable industrial water management. Keyword analyses reveal that research is largely concentrated around the concepts of WF, life cycle assessment (LCA), and wastewater treatment. Citation and network analyses show that certain methodological references-particularly the works of Hoekstra and Mekonnen-form the intellectual backbone of the literature. In addition, publications are predominantly focused on environmental sciences and engineering while economic and managerial approaches remain limited. Overall this study provides a systematic framework for literature by identifying main trends gaps and future research priorities in industrial WF research.