Abstract
In recent years, water scarcity and irrational utilization have become the pivotal issues for the sustainable development of river basins in China. This paper attempts to propose a new perspective for the optimization of water resources allocation in a typical river basin. In order to conduct an accurate and feasible program for water resources allocation in the water-deficient river basin, a multi-objective and multi-constraint programming model was developed by embedding land use effect as a constraint on water allocation, which was currently solely decided by water resources demand in different water use sectors. The program includes two layers, namely water allocation among different counties located in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin and among domestic, industrial, agricultural and ecological uses within one county. Empirical analysis shows that the structural change of land use has an important influence and restriction on the water resources allocation in the river basin. The least cultivated areas that ensure food security and the constraint of construction land quota have great impact on agricultural and industrial water allocation. Moreover, the quantitative change of ecological land greatly affects ecological water allocation. The results demonstrate that the optimal program calculated from land use embedded model can well predicate the actual situation of water allocation in the future. To ensure regional sustainable development, it is vital that reasonable water-saving measures in each water use sector and ecological protection policies be taken.
Highlights
Recent decades, rapid urbanization, industrialization, population growth, and the increasing competition for scarce natural resources has made China face great water management challenges, especially in river basins with fragile ecologies [1,2]
This study addresses that water resources allocation in a river basin should be optimized from the view of integrated river basin management and regional sustainable development, and land use must be taken into account as a significant constraint of the optimal water resources allocation plan
Taking the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin of China as an example, we developed a multi-objective programming model which comprehensively considers the economic, social, ecological benefits, and the general constraint conditions of water resources utilization
Summary
Rapid urbanization, industrialization, population growth, and the increasing competition for scarce natural resources has made China face great water management challenges, especially in river basins with fragile ecologies [1,2]. Water resources scarcity has become one of the determinants which restricts social and economic sustainable development in these regions. Improving water use efficiency by means of optimizing water resources allocation nowadays has been considered as the fundamental method for solving water scarcity in river basin [3]. Insufficient knowledge of available water resources, lack of coordination in water resources allocation and management, and drought episodes in the river basin often result in water deficits which have hampered the harmonious development and destroyed the ecological balance [4,5,6] in the basin. Water allocation decisions that consider equity, efficiency, and sustainability in every water sector should be treated as the main goal of decision-makers in the river basin
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
