Abstract
With progress in China’s industrialization and urbanization, the contradiction of social and economic development with water resource supply–demand and water environmental pollution becomes increasingly prominent. To cope with the dual constraints of resource shortage and environmental regulations, the concept of water resource green efficiency that considers economic, environmental, and ecological factors is highly involved to promote sustainable economic development. The theoretical and practice circle devote to scientific green efficiency assessment of water resources and effective recognition of relevant influencing factors. However, to an extent they neglect social benefits brought by sustainable development and possible influences of industrial restructuring on green efficiency. They also lack concern on green efficiency of water resources in inland arid areas. To offset the disadvantages of existing studies, the philosophy of sustainable development was integrated into the input–output assessment system of green efficiency of water resources, and an assessment model was constructed using the SBM–Tobit (slack-based measure and Tobit) method. Moreover, a case study based on Henan Province, China was carried out. The green efficiencies of water resources in 18 cities of Henan Province during 2011–2018 were calculated. The operation mechanism of relevant influencing factors was discussed, and the methods to improve green efficiency of water resources were determined. Results reveal that the sustainable green efficiency of water resources in Henan Province increased in fluctuation during 2011–2018. The mean green efficiency increased from 0.425 in 2011 to 0.498 in 2018. At present, green efficiency of water resources in Henan Province remains at a low level, with a mean of 0.504. Reducing water consumption intensity and increasing investment to water environmental pollution technologies can promote green efficiency of water resources significantly. Conclusions provide a new method for scientific measurement and green efficiency assessment of water resources in inland arid areas.
Highlights
China has achieved outstanding progress in economic development in recent years and has become the second largest economic entity in the world
The data envelopment analysis (DEA) model is a quantitative analysis method developed by Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes to make relative efficiency evaluation of decision-making units (DMUs) by using a multi-objective decision model under multi-inputs and multi-outputs [39]
Based on Equation (3), the analysis described above, and the Tobit regression model, the influencing factors of green efficiency of water resources in Henan Province were calculated by Stata 13.0 by using means of water consumption intensity, government water environmental control strength, technological input, abundance of water resources, and marketization level in 18 cities of Henan Province
Summary
China has achieved outstanding progress in economic development in recent years and has become the second largest economic entity in the world. This achievement is gained by depending on a long-term extensive economic growth mode, which to an extent has resource and labor-intensive characteristics [1,2]. With the rapid economic growth, energy consumption increases gradually, and the resource supply–demand gap expands gradually. Resource and energy supplies fall short to meet current social development. The original extensive economic development mode may cause certain pressures on the ecological environment and natural resources [3]. As the byproducts of economic development, environmental pollution and resource consumption have become a key barrier against sustainable development, and they have attracted wide attention from China and other developing countries [4]
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