In the study, the researchers looked at how Guilin City uses water resources to produce goods and services for its residents. They measured the city's water usage from 2000 to 2009 using something called the water resources footprint, which shows how much water is needed for everything people consume. They found that in 2009, Guilin used a lot of water, almost reaching a critical level where it may not be sustainable. The city's water footprint per person was around 1529.62 cubic meters. The study also showed that Guilin's water footprint has been getting bigger over the years, and it's using water resources at a rate that may not be good for the future. Despite improvements in how much water is used for each unit of money made (GDP), Guilin still has a way to go compared to other advanced places.