Multi-basin water use network model for evaluating evolution of water resource systems toward sustainable water use

Abstract

When treating multi-river basins as a whole using ecological network analysis (ENA) approach, a broad knowledge gap in the analysis of water transfer activities among river basins need to be filled. In this study, given the water transfer projects conducted among river basins in China, a multi-basin water use network model was developed to evaluate the evolution of the Huang, Huai, and Hai River basins (HHH basins) from 2008 to 2017. According to the system-level and information analysis, the network structure changed steadily with a slight variation and it was characterized by a better ability to transfer material than to be against external interference. By network functional analysis, results showed that the three rivers competed for the usage of water resources and the ecological relationships between the Huang River basin and the other two river basins were similar. Furthermore, as the Huai and Hai River basins partially depend on water supply from the Huang River, the pressures on the environmental flow in the Huai and Hai River basins are more significant than that on the Huang River basin. Based on the analysis, some measures toward sustainable water use under the severe water shortage were proposed.