Spatial Variability of Water Resources State of Regions around the “Belt and Road”

Yaohuan Huang,Zhonghua Li,Xiaoyang Song,Ping Kang,Mingxing Chen

doi:10.3390/w13152102

Abstract

Water resource has become a key constraint for implementing the “Belt and Road” initiative which was raised by the Chinese government. Besides the study of spatial and temporal variability of precipitation, this study created a water hazard risk map along the “Belt and Road” zone through combined flood and drought data from 1985. Our results showed that South-Eastern Asia, southern China and eastern Southern Asia are areas with the most abundant precipitations, while floods in these areas are also the most serious. Northwest China, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia are areas highly vulnerable to drought. Furthermore, the potential influence of flood and drought were also analyzed by associating with population distribution and corridor map. It reveals that China, South-Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Western Asia and Northern Africa have the largest population number facing potential high water hazard risk. China–India–Burma Corridor and China–Indo-China Peninsula Corridor have the largest areas facing potential high water hazard risk.

Highlights

In 2013, China proposed the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st-Century Maritime Silk Road” initiatives, which are collectively referred to as the “Belt and Road” [1].The “Vision and Action for Promoting the Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road” (“Vision and Action”) was issued subsequently in 2015, which marks the formal implementation of the “Belt and Road” [2]
Xia et al found that there will probably be an increase in extreme floods and droughts in the Eastern Monsoon of China and irrigation water in the North China Plain will increase by 4% with the impact of global warming [21]
We focused on floods and droughts to represent water security, which is mainly retrieved from surface water

Summary

Introduction

The “Vision and Action for Promoting the Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road” (“Vision and Action”) was issued subsequently in 2015, which marks the formal implementation of the “Belt and Road” [2]. “Vision and Action” proposes that infrastructure interconnection is a priority mission for the “Belt and Road”, due to improving the accessibility of roads facilitating the lives of local individuals and promoting the sustainable development of the local economy and society [3]. Understanding the temporal and spatial variability of water resources and water-caused natural hazards along the corridor can ensure the smooth construction of transportation infrastructure and promote the sustainable development of countries and regions along the “Belt and Road” zone [8]

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion