Abstract
Quantitative analysis of the reallocation and linkages of virtual water in the economic sector was important for the integrated water resources management in inland arid regions. Taking the northern Tianshan Mountains (NTM) as an example, we applied the environmental input-output model to design the accounting framework for the reallocation of blue and green virtual water (VW) in the economic sector and analyzed the correlation effect of VW reallocation among various sectors by backward and forward linkages in economic analysis. The results showed that the direct blue and green water consumption of primary industry respectively accounted for 99.2% and 100% of the total water consumption in NTM. Planting sector had the largest amount of VW outflow among all sectors. Animal husbandry, forestry and construction had a large pulling effect on VW outflow of planting sector, while planting sector and animal husbandry were the main sectors for VW export of blue and green water. We suggest that the government can increase the import of blue-green VW for agricultural raw materials through VW trade and develop industries such as service and electricity that have less pulling effect on the primary industry VW, so as to improve the economic added value of VW in the primary industry and reduce the loss of VW in primary industry production and trade flows in future water management.
Highlights
Water shortage is an important issue restricting the sustainable development of the global economy and society
The results showed that the planting sector had the largest amount of blue water for internal in northern Tianshan Mountains (NTM) (4414.1 × 10 m ), accounting for 53.9% of its blue physical water (PW) consumption, and the remaining allocation in NTM (4414.1 × 106 m3), accounting for 53.9% of its blue PW consumption, and the
In arid and semi-arid regions, it is crucial for local economic development to accurately identify the driving factors for water use of economic sectors, and understand how much PW in each economic sector is converted to Virtual water (VW) and the redistribution process to various sectors driven by final demand
Summary
Water shortage is an important issue restricting the sustainable development of the global economy and society. In the context of globalization, competition between industries and uneven economic development have exacerbated the contradiction between water supply and demand in some water-scarce countries or regions [1]. It is generally believed that the increasing human demand for goods and services is the main driver of water shortages [2]. Traditional water management has mainly focused on the physical water (PW) of economic sectors, such as agriculture, manufacturing and mining industries. In the last two decades, the academic research on “virtual water” has provided a new way of thinking for improving the level of water management in water-scarce areas and alleviating water shortages. Virtual water (VW) is water embodied in the production process for both intermediate use
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