Study on water resource carrying capacity of Xi’an based on AHP-fuzzy synthetic evaluation model

Abstract

Based on the statistical data of water resource in Xi’an from 2005 to 2017, a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to analyse the status and influencing factors of water resource carrying capacity in Xi’an for the past 13 years. The results show that the water resource carrying capacity of Xi’an in 2005∼2017 has been declining, and the water supply capacity has also shown a downward trend with a decrease of -0.0023/a. Nevertheless, the economic development and urban spatial assessment index have shown a rapid upward trend. In 2017, the annual total water supply of the city increased, leading to the continuous improvement of the environmental status of water resource in Xi’an. However, compared with the urban population growth rate of 9%, GDP growth rate of 19%, and urban consumption rate of 21%, the water resource carrying capacity will continue to decline in the short term and cannot be effectively improved. The main reason for the continuous decline of water resource carrying capacity in Xi’an is the shortage of water resource, and the daily water consumption per capita is increasing. Under the current water resource situation, it is difficult to effectively support the rapid development of urban economy and urbanization. Developing and enhancing citizens’ awareness for water conservation and improvement is necessary to support sustainable urbanization in Xi’an City.