Studies on Carrying Capacity of Water Resources in Beijing and Tianjin: Based on the Water Footprint

Abstract

Carrying capacity of water resources is a concept with a natural-social dual attribute, not only reflects the capacity of water system to meet demands of social and economic systems, but also is closely related to the degree of social and economic systems’ natural water resource system. The concept of carrying capacity originally came from land carrying capacity. The carrying capacity of water resources follows after land carrying capacity in regards to importance in the carrying capacity of resources and environment, and in recent years it has become a research focus and hotspot in the field of water resource science. At present the academic circle has not reach a consensus on the definition of carrying capacity on water resources; different scholars have different opinions. Shi Yafeng and Qu Yaoguang (1992) says, “carrying capacity of water resources refers to the maximum capacity which water resource can carry the agriculture, industry, urban size and population of a region, in a certain stage of development of social history and science and technology, without destroying the social and ecological system, and is a comprehensive objective which may change along with social, economic, scientific, and technological development.” Cheng Guodong (2002) defines the carrying capacity of water resources as “supporting capacity of water resources to sound development of eco-economic system in a region under the specific stage of historical development, considering foreseeable effects of technological, cultural, institutional, and personal value choices, in a condition of suitable management technology.” Feng Zhiming and Liu Dengwei (2006) says, carrying capacity on water resources is “the maximum population or scale of social and economic development which water resources in a region is able to support continuously within a certain period, in economic and technical conditions and standards of living.” Duan Qingchun et al. (2010) says, carrying capacity of water resources is “the reasonable size in which regional water resource system can support social and economic sustainable development in a region, in a condition of certain economic, social, and technological development level, on the premise of ecological and environmental healthy development and social and economic sustainable development and coordination.” Though different scholars have different definitions about the concept of carrying capacity of water resources, all of the above scholars emphasize the supporting capacity of water resources to economic and social development, and its core is the maximum or reasonable scale of population or economic and social development in which water resource can bear or support.