Temporal and spatial variations of water resources constraint intensity on urbanization in the Shiyang River Basin, China

Abstract

The Shiyang River Basin is located in the essential zone of Hexi Corridor in China, where the shortage of water resources has intensely impeded the development of the cities there for a long time. Based on the data related to water resources and urbanization system from 2005 to 2017, the paper regarded each county of Wuwei and Jinchang as the minimum research unit, and calculated their water resources constraint intensity (WRCI) every year through comprehensive measurement model, with the conclusion that: (1) In the past 13 years, the WRCI of all counties in the Shiyang River Basin had declined, among which Minqin had the most obvious decline, from an extreme constraint in 2005 to a strong constraint in 2017. The WRCI of Jinchuan was the most stable, fluctuating at a low level, while the decline of other counties was between the two. (2) The overall WRCI of the Shiyang River Basin decreased by about 0.2, from intense constraint to strong constraint, but still was under great pressure of water resources. (3) The WRCI in the Shiyang River Basin had always been "higher in the north than the south, and higher in the downstream area than upstream area". The WRCI of the counties in the upstream area such as Gulang and Tianzhu were relatively low, while WRCI of the counties in the downstream area such as Minqin and Yongchang were at a high level, reflecting the unbalanced spatial development of the basin, but the gap was gradually narrowing. In the future, all counties in the Shiyang River Basin still need to make efforts to tap the potential of utilization of water resources and improve urbanization level in economic and social aspects, so as to realize the goal of regional coordination and sustainable development.