Rice farming is a significant threat to freshwater resources and increasingly vulnerable to drought due to climate change. This study proposes reactivating small water bodies for rice irrigation and drainage to enhance sustainability and resilience. Findings indicate that this approach could decrease China's rice production water footprint by 30%, save 9% of national freshwater consumption, increase irrigation self-sufficiency from 3% to 31%, and alleviate yield loss in dry years by 2–3%.
