Influence of Economic Structure Optimization on Water Consumption in Shanxi, China

Abstract

Shanxi province of China is threatened by the water shortage crisis. It is an important means to solve the water shortage problem by rationally water utilization planning and controlling. Using the structural decomposition analysis based on input-output table, the driving factors and driving forces of water consumption in Shanxi is researched, especially the effect of economic structure optimization. On the basis of the input-output table of Shanxi in 2002, 2007 and 2012, a comparable price water input-output model was established in combination with the water use data. According to the study, the improvement of water use efficiency has been the main driving force for reducing water consumption. The change in gross final demand has always been the main driving force for increasing water consumption. The adjustment of manufacturing industry structure, the secondary industry structure, the three industrial structure and the final demand structure have different impacts on water consumption, which has been related to the way of development. On the whole, the optimization of economic structure is changed from water reduction effect to increasing effect.