Distribution of Pressure Index of Agricultural Water Resources and Strategies in China Based on GIS

Abstract

Pressure index of agricultural water resources(PIAWR) is the ratio of the amount of agricultural water use and 40 percent of total water resources. The PIAWR could reflect the status of pressure on agricultural water resources. The paper calculated the PIAWR at the municipal and regional scale in China using the pressure index model based on the statistical data of water resources in 2005. It was found that 42 municipalities had a water pressure of the I class, accounting for 12.38% of the total, 50 had a water pressure of the II class, 14.75%; 83 had a water pressure of the III class,24.48%; 60 had a water pressure of the IV class, 17.70%; 12 had a water pressure of the V class, 3.54%; 7 had a water pressure of the VI class, 2.06%; 18 had a water pressure of the VII class, 5.31%; and 67 had a water pressure of the VIII class,19.76%. The difference of agricultural water resources pressure in 6 different administrative regions was also great and the PIAWR were ranked in the order of North China, Northwest China, East China, Northeast China, South China and Southwest China. Based on the above analysis, the paper gave some strategies and suggestions for alleviating the tension in the high pressure regions of North China, Northwest China, East China, Northeast China, such as developing water-saving agriculture, adjusting planting structure, strengthening irrigation water management and properly developing sewage irrigation.