Sustainable Utilization Of Water Resources Research Articles

The virtual Water flow of crops between intraregional and interregional in mainland China

Agriculture is the main consumer of freshwater in the world. The paper described the process of virtual water content and flow in crops. Differences in climatic conditions of different regions in China result in large differences in water consumption during crop growth. The virtual water trade in crops connects water flows within and between regions, linking the actual water consumption with the invisible water trade as a whole. The objective of the paper was supplying the agricultural products virtual water trade evaluation system, determining quantitatively the virtual water flow within the region & regional. Using meteorological and agricultural data from 2003 to 2010, a comprehensive analysis of China's domestic & international virtual water trade of agricultural products has been undertaken. The virtual water for the three primary crops and virtual water trade are discussed. The virtual water content of grain crops in northern & southern China was 1293 m3/t & 942 m3/t, respectively; the national average value was 1117 m3/t; and the regional differences in virtual water content for each crop were significant. China's inter-regional agricultural products virtual water trade was not consistent with water resource endowment expectations. The transfer of crops from northern to southern regions would have a significant impact on the sustainable utilization of water resources and would exacerbate water resources shortages in northern regions. China had a trade surplus in global virtual water trade of agricultural products. The exported agricultural products virtual water amounted to 31.5 billion m3/yr., and the imported amount was 145 billion m3/yr. The net import of virtual water embedded in agricultural products increased from 44 billion m3/yr. in 2003 to 178 billion m3/yr. in 2010. It is further concluded that the trend for agricultural products total virtual water, green water, and blue water is that China is increasing its imports year on year. A large increase in imports of agricultural products has led to a decline in the rate of self-sufficiency in domestic agricultural production. The paper provided the basis for the comprehensive evaluation of crop planting structure adjustment, grain import & export, and the potential of regional water resources development and utilization.

Impact of the operation of cascade reservoirs in upper Yangtze River on hydrological variability of the mainstream

Abstract. As the impacts by climate changes and human activities are intensified, variability may occur in river's annual runoff as well as flood and low water characteristics. In order to understand the characteristics of variability in hydrological series, diagnosis and identification must be conducted specific to the variability of hydrological series, i.e., whether there was variability and where the variability began to occur. In this paper, the mainstream of Yangtze River was taken as the object of study. A model was established to simulate the impounding and operation of upstream cascade reservoirs so as to obtain the runoff of downstream hydrological control stations after the regulation by upstream reservoirs in different level years. The Range of Variability Approach was utilized to analyze the impact of the operation of upstream reservoirs on the variability of downstream. The results indicated that the overall hydrologic alterations of Yichang hydrological station in 2010 level year, 2015 level year and the forward level year were 68.4, 72.5 and 74.3 % respectively, belonging to high alteration in all three level years. The runoff series of mainstream hydrological stations presented variability in different degrees, where the runoff series of the four hydrological stations including Xiangjiaba, Gaochang and Wulong belonged to high alteration in the three level years; and the runoff series of Beibei hydrological station in 2010 level year belonged to medium alteration, and high alteration in 2015 level year and the forward level year. The study on the impact of the operation of cascade reservoirs in Upper Yangtze River on hydrological variability of the mainstream had important practical significance on the sustainable utilization of water resources, disaster prevention and mitigation, safe and efficient operation and management of water conservancy projects and stable development of the economic society.

Study of ecological compensation in complex river networks based on a mathematical model.

Transboundary water pollution has resulted in increasing conflicts between upstream and downstream administrative districts. Ecological compensation is an efficient means of restricting pollutant discharge and achieving sustainable utilization of water resources. The tri-provincial region of Taihu Basin is a typical river networks area. Pollutant flux across provincial boundaries in the Taihu Basin is hard to determine due to complex hydrologic and hydrodynamic conditions. In this study, ecological compensation estimation for the tri-provincial area based on a mathematical model is investigated for better environmental management. River discharge and water quality are predicted with the one-dimensional mathematical model and validated with field measurements. Different ecological compensation criteria are identified considering the notable regional discrepancy in sewage treatment costs. Finally, the total compensation payment is estimated. Our study indicates that Shanghai should be the receiver of payment from both Jiangsu and Zhenjiang in 2013, with 305 million and 300 million CNY, respectively. Zhejiang also contributes more pollutants to Jiangsu, and the compensation to Jiangsu is estimated as 9.3 million CNY. The proposed ecological compensation method provides an efficient way for solving the transboundary conflicts in a complex river networks area and is instructive for future policy-making.

Dynamic assessment and forecast of urban water ecological footprint based on exponential smoothing analysis

Abstract Water resources are essential for production and life of human beings, as well as urban economy and social development. At present, shortage of water resource has been emerging one of the urgent problems that many cities in China are facing due to rapid urbanization. In this work, water ecological footprint method has been applied to demonstrate how the sustainable utilization of water resources can be realized. According to the basic principle and calculation model of water ecological footprint, the water ecological footprint (WEF) and water ecological carrying capacity (WEC) in a period of 2004–2015 in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing were analyzed. Then, the water ecological footprints per capita were predicted with the quadratic exponential smoothing in 2020 and 2025, respectively. The results show that the total WEF in these cities except for Shanghai increased from 2004 to 2015. The productive WEF was the primary consumption account in the total WEF accounts of the four cities. In 2015, the productive WEFs of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing accounted for 54.46%, 82.61%, 75.04%, and 80.03% of total WEF amounts, respectively. At the same time, the proportion of the WEF of tertiary industry in Beijing was as high as 50.14% in the productive WEF accounts. The biggest proportion of the WEF of secondary industry was 59.14% and 53.14% in Shanghai and Chongqing, respectively. In Tianjin, the WEF of primary industry was the biggest proportion, accounting for 65.03%. In terms of the WEF per capita, we also found that the water ecological surplus per capita for Tianjin occurred only in 2012 indicating serious water ecological deficit in the other years. While the water ecological deficit per capita occurred in Shanghai before 2014 and exited in Beijing in the whole study period, which suggested that water resource utilization was not sustainable. However, the WEC per capita in Chongqing was bigger than the WEF per capita during 2004–2015, contributing to the water ecological surplus per capita in Chongqing. That is to say, the sustainable utilization of water resources in Chongqing was rational. It is evidenced that such changes of the total WEF are closely related to the productive WEF. We thus suggest that the productive structure associated with the distribution of water resources in different cities should be manipulated towards improving the WEC, reducing the WEF and fix regional water imbalance for further promoting the sustainable development of the overall socio-economy.

Review: Characterization, evolution, and environmental issues of karst water systems in Northern China

In Northern China, karst systems in widely distributed carbonate rocks are one of the most important water supplies for local inhabitants. Constrained by the specific geological and geomorphological conditions, most karst water in this region is discharged as individual or groups of springs. This paper summarizes the characteristics, chemistry, and environmental quality of these karst systems in Northern China. Five structural models of karst water systems were identified based on the relationships between the karst geological strata and karst groundwater flow fields. These specific structural models may closely relate to the attendant environmental geological issues and consistent risks from pollution. Over the past 40 years, the karst water systems in Northern China have suffered from various environmental problems, including deteriorating water quality, the drying up of springs, a continuous decline in the level of karst water, and so on. Based on the field investigation and previous data, a preliminary summary is provided of the environmental problems related to the development and evolutionary trends of karst water in this region. The results highlight the significant challenges associated with karst water, and it is essential that all segments of society be made aware of the situation in order to demand change. In addition, the study provides a scientific basis for the management, protection, and sustainable utilization of karst water resources.

Evaluation of the Spatiotemporal Variation of Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources: Case Study from Henan Province (China)

The evaluation of the sustainable utilization of water resources is an important factor to measure whether the water resources can support the local coordinated development of population, economy and environment. Our study used Henan Province as the research area, which has a relative shortage of water resources (average water resources per capita, ≤400 m3). The Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, Response (DPSIR) model was used to construct the evaluation index system, utilizing the entropy weight method and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to determine the index weight. The sustainable utilization of water resources in 18 cities of Henan Province from 2006 to 2015 was evaluated using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) model. The results show a steady upward trend, from worst to general, but there is a great difference between each city. The overall level was still on the low side, and the influence of each subsystem in the comprehensive index of the sustainable utilization of water resources varies. The evaluation results are basically in line with the actual situation of economic and social development in Henan Province, which has a guiding significance for improving the level of sustainable utilization of water resources in the region.

Impact of land use/cover change on the relationship between precipitation and runoff in typical area

Abstract To study the impact of land use/cover change (LUCC), the relationship between precipitation and runoff was investigated. Our main objective was to ensure reasonable development, management, and sustainable utilization of water resources at a watershed scale. To investigate the relationship between precipitation and runoff, a SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was developed by analyzing LUCC in Naoli River basin. Then, runoff response was analyzed under different LUCC conditions. The contribution coefficient of different land use types to runoff was calculated. The results of this research study are as follows. From 1986 to 2014, dry land, forest land, paddy fields, and unused land were the major land use types, accounting for more than 93% of the total catchment. On the other hand, grass land, building land, and water bodies accounted for a small proportion. Among the four main land use types, the contribution coefficient of forest land was 3.10 mm·km−2. This indicates that forest land was suitable for runoff generation. The contribution coefficient of dry land, unused land (fluvial wetland in Naoli River basin), and paddy field are −0.11, −0.37, and −0.83 mm·km−2, respectively. This implies that these three land use types were adverse factors for runoff generation.

Review: karst springs in Shanxi, China

China is one of a few countries in the world where karst is intensively developed and karst water is heavily utilized as water supply sources. Shanxi is such a Province with the largest karst distribution in places in Northern China, where 19 large karst springs and their catchments are identified to provide important sources of the water supply and ecosystem functioning in Shanxi. Over the years, many problems associated with utilization of karst springs in Shanxi cropped out, including the decrease in spring flow, decline of groundwater level, groundwater contamination and pollution, etc., which severely restrict the sustainable utilization of karst water resources in Shanxi. Through the retrieval and analysis of some 200 local and international publications, this paper critically reviews the research results of karst springs in the region from the perspective of spring flow trend, precipitation recharge and time-lag, evaluation of karst water resources, water chemistry and environmental isotopes with purposing assession, and further evaluates the integrity of the aquifer system including vulnerability, impacts of coal mining and engineering activities on karst groundwater, delineation of spring catchment sub-systems, protection and management measures. It is concluded that human activities and climate change are the primary and secondary factors negatively affecting karst springs, respectively. The impacts of human activities on karst springs are mainly facilitated by intensive development of karst water, mining drainage, engineering construction and other activities. While karst water in parts of Shanxi spring catchments is polluted to various degrees, hence it is recommended to mainstream the protection of karst spring water in the areas of strategic importance. This paper will contribute towards the establishment of sustainable development and utilization of karst water in Shanxi and even in Northern China.

Analysis of the evolution of precipitation in the Haihe river basin of China under changing environment

Precipitation is one of the important factors of water cycle and main sources of regional water resources. It is of great significance to analyze the evolution of precipitation under changing environment for identifying the evolution law of water resources, thus can provide a scientific reference for the sustainable utilization of water resources and the formulation of related policies and measures. Generally, analysis of the evolution of precipitation consists of three levels: analysis the observed precipitation change based on measured data, explore the possible factors responsible for the precipitation change, and estimate the change trend of precipitation under changing environment. As the political and cultural centre of China, the climatic conditions in the Haihe river basin have greatly changed in recent decades. This study analyses the evolution of precipitation in the basin under changing environment based on observed meteorological data, GCMs and statistical methods. Firstly, based on the observed precipitation data during 1961-2000 at 26 meteorological stations in the basin, the actual precipitation change in the basin is analyzed. Secondly, the observed precipitation change in the basin is attributed using the fingerprint-based attribution method, and the causes of the observed precipitation change is identified. Finally, the change trend of precipitation in the basin under climate change in the future is predicted based on GCMs and a statistical downscaling model. The results indicate that: 1) during 1961-2000, the precipitation in the basin showed a decreasing trend, and the possible mutation time was 1965; 2) natural variability may be the factor responsible for the observed precipitation change in the basin; 3) under climate change in the future, precipitation in the basin will slightly increase by 4.8% comparing with the average, and the extremes will not vary significantly.

Water resource system vulnerability assessment of the Heihe River Basin based on pressure-state-response (PSR) model under the changing environment

Abstract As one of the most important inland rivers in China, the shortage of water resources and ecological deterioration of the Heihe River has increasingly attracted attention, and it is very significant to undertake the water resources sustainable utilization for its vulnerability assessment in the river basin. Using the pressure-state-response (PSR) model, a vulnerability index of the water resources system was developed and used to carry out a vulnerability assessment on the Heihe River in the current year (2010) and the comparison year (2003). The PSR of water resource vulnerability included 11 indexes, which are domestic water quota of urban residents, rural water quota of urban residents, million yuan GDP water consumption, per capita water consumption, ecological water proportion, drought index, per capita water resources, water modulus, water quality grade, water saving irrigation rate, per capita GDP, respectively. The vulnerability of water resources was evaluated by the attribute recognition model. The results show that water resources in the Heihe River Basin were in a quite vulnerable state in both 2003 and 2010 according to the values of scenario A1 (not vulnerable) and scenario B1 (severely vulnerable). It is urgent to protect and restore the water resources system in the Heihe River Basin.

Review and prospect about water resources operation research

The concept of water resources operation is expatiated and classified and the theories and methods with regard to water resources operation are also summarized. Research progress of water resources operation exists to analyse the problems and to take a look to the future of research directions in the field of water resources operation. In conclusion, the research on water resources operation needs a combination with the actual state of projects, climate change and increasing human activities, actually considering water resources demands and employing uniform control of water quantity and quality, which could ensure the sustainable utilization of water resources in China.

中国人均灰水生态足迹变化驱动效应测度及时空分异

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 中国人均灰水生态足迹变化驱动效应测度及时空分异 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201706221136 作者: 作者单位: 辽宁师范大学城市与环境学院,辽宁师范大学 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家社会科学基金重点项目（16AJY009） Driving effect measurements and spatial-temporal variation of the per capita gray water ecological footprint in China Author: Affiliation: College of Urban and Environment,Liaoning Normal University,College of Urban and Environment,Liaoning Normal University Fund Project: Key Projects of National Social Sci-ence Fund, No. 16AJY009. 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:将传统灰水足迹和水生态足迹方法相结合，运用扩展的Kaya恒等式和LMDI指数分解方法对中国各省市的人均灰水生态足迹变化的驱动因素进行测度分析，充分考虑了资本和劳动力因素，选取经济活度效应，资本深化效应，资本效率效应，足迹强度效应，环境效率效应5个效应对人均灰水生态足迹变化的影响，结合ISODATA聚类模型对各效应进行空间聚类，从而分析各效应的空间特征。结果显示：中国人均灰水生态足迹产出变化是这5种因素共同作用的结果，资本深化效应和经济活度效应具有增量效应特点，而环境效率效应、足迹强度效应、资本效率效应呈减量效应特点；在各驱动效应的的强弱对比中，资本深化效应和足迹强度效应的特征较为明显。经济发展带动了科技进步也使得用水效率不断提高是足迹强度效应呈减量效应的主要原因；而工业化阶段经济向资本密集型转变是资本效率下降的主要原因。研究对中国灰水生态变化与资本要素之间的关系进行了探讨，对环保政策的调整及水资源可持续利用研究具有一定的参考价值。 Abstract:In this study, the authors apply water ecological footprint measurement methods to the field of gray water footprint research and provide a method for calculating gray water ecological footprints. Based on the extended Kaya identity and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) technique decomposition methods, we calculated the gray water ecological footprint of 31 provinces and the per capita gray water ecological footprint in China from 2000 to 2014. We then measured and decomposed the values of the driving effects of per capita gray water ecological footprint change. From these results, we selected five of the more important economic and environmental factors to apply as capital factors to gray water research. This method included measurements of the effects of the working population, capital stocks, capital output coefficients, water ecological footprint intensity, and gray water ecological footprint emission coefficients. The five driving effects were economic activity, capital deepening, capital efficiency, footprint intensity, and environmental efficiency. The values of the driving effects on changes during the time period are discussed and analyzed based on the Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis Techniques Algorithm (ISODATA) clustering model for spatial clustering of the effects. The results showed that the Chinese per capita gray water ecological footprint output changed because of the interaction of these five factors. Among them, the incremental capital deepening effect was obvious, as a large amount of capital has been invested to promote rapid development of the regional economy and to employ a rapidly growing population. Economic activity can also promote the characteristics and the size of regional economies as population growth will increase regional demands for water. The other capital deepening effect is a decline in the output efficiency of capital. With the rapid development of its economy, China is in a period of industrialization and urbanization. The economic structure has gradually changed from a population-intensive to a capital-intensive structure. Industry, especially heavy industry, had a higher initial investment and a lower output efficiency, which is why the effect of capital efficiency continues to decrease. The most obvious effect on footprint intensity was the effect of per capita gray water ecological footprint reduction. With the improvement of economic activity and advances in science and technology, the water ecological footprint intensity has been greatly reduced. As a result of the effective control of pollutant emissions, the per capita gray water ecological footprint in most provinces and cities has shown a decreasing trend. A reduction in environmental efficiency is an inevitable consequence of a decrease in the water ecological footprint intensity. With a decrease in water ecological footprint intensity, more water is reused and we can improve water efficiency in most provinces to reduce the gray water ecological footprint. This study discusses the relationship between gray water ecological changes and capital factors; the reported results have value as a reference for the adjustment of environmental policies and the sustainable utilization of water resources. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Research on dynamic model of optimal simulation system for urban water resources sustainable utilization based on complex scientific management

Research on dynamic model of optimal simulation system for urban water resources sustainable utilization based on complex scientific management

How can streamflow and climate-landscape data be used to estimate baseflow mean response time?

Mean response time (MRT) is a metric describing the propagation of catchment hydraulic behavior that reflects both hydro-climatic conditions and catchment characteristics. To provide a comprehensive understanding of catchment response over a longer-time scale for hydraulic processes, the MRT function for baseflow generation was derived using an instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) model that describes the subsurface response to effective rainfall inputs. IUH parameters were estimated based on the “match test” between the autocorrelation function (ACFs) derived from the filtered base flow time series and from the IUH parameters, under the GLUE framework. Regionalization of MRT was conducted using estimates and hydroclimate-landscape indices in 22 sub-basins of the Jinghe River Basin (JRB) in the Loess Plateau of northwest China. Results indicate there is strong equifinality in determination of the best parameter sets but the median values of the MRT estimates are relatively stable in the acceptable range of the parameters. MRTs vary markedly over the studied sub-basins, ranging from tens of days to more than a year. Climate, topography and geomorphology were identified as three first-order controls on recharge-baseflow response processes. Human activities involving the cultivation of permanent crops may elongate the baseflow MRT and hence increase the dynamic storage. Cross validation suggests the model can be used to estimate MRTs in ungauged catchments in similar regions of throughout the Loess Plateau. The proposed method provides a systematic approach for MRT estimation and regionalization in terms of hydroclimate and catchment characteristics, which is helpful in the sustainable water resources utilization and ecological protection in the Loess Plateau.

Adapting rice production to climate change for sustainable blue water consumption: an economic and virtual water analysis

Sustainable utilization of blue water resources under climate change is of great significance especially for producing high water-consuming crops in water-scarce regions. Based on the virtual water concept, we carried out a comprehensive field-modeling research to find the optimal agricultural practices regarding rice blue water consumption under prospective climate change. The DSSAT-CERES-Rice model was used in combination with 20 GCMs under three Representative Concentration Pathways of low (RCP2.6), intermediate (RCP4.6), and very high (RCP8.5) greenhouse concentrations to predict rice yield and water requirement and related virtual water and economic return for the base and future periods. The crop model was calibrated and validated based on the 2-year field data obtained from consolidated paddy fields of the Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University during 2011 and 2012 rice cropping cycles. Climate change imposes an increase of 0.02–0.04 °C in air temperature which consequently shifts rice growing seasons to winter season, and shorten the length of rice physiological maturity period by 2–15 days. While rice virtual water reduces by 0.1–20.6% during 2011–2070, reduced rice yield by 3.8–22.6% over the late twenty-first century results in a considerable increase in rice virtual water. By increasing the contribution of green water in supplying crop water requirement, earlier cropping could diminish blue water consumption for rice production in the region while cultivation postponement increases irrigation water requirement by 2–195 m3 ha−1. Forty days delay in rice cultivation in future will result in 29.9–40.6% yield reduction and 43.9–60% increase in rice virtual water under different scenarios. Earlier cropping during the 2011–2040 and 2041–2070 periods would increase water productivity, unit value of water, and economic value of blue water compared to the base period. Based on the results, management of rice cultivation calendar is a suitable strategy for sustainable blue water consumption for producing rice under future climate.

Optimal water utilization and allocation in industrial sectors based on water footprint accounting in Dalian City, China

The problem of fresh water scarcity is one of the major constraints for regional development. Rapid urbanization and rising economic prosperity has further exacerbated problems with not only water quantity, but also water quality. Hence, sustainable utilization of water resources should be a priority, especially in water stressed areas. However, most current studies on optimal water allocation models are based on physical water, which cannot fully reveal the water flows embedded in imported and exported raw materials and products throughout all production processes. Thus, they fail to achieve sustainability goals. Therefore, the objective of this study was to set up an optimal water allocation model for industrial sectors based on water footprint accounting. In this paper, first the internal and external blue and gray water footprints were evaluated. The results indicated that the external water footprint was the major contributor to Dalian's water footprint, which shared around 72.58% of the total. Among all the industrial sectors, the chemical industry and chemical production sector had the highest total WF. Second, analyses of water productivity intensity of the WF and physical water for the industrial sectors were conducted. The comparison of the results revealed that physical water productivity intensity failed to explain the embedded water inflows in the production processes among the regions and sectors. Third, an optimization model based on the water footprint accounting results was thus set up. The optimal consequences indicated that a water allocation plan could meet both the water requirements for the blue and gray water footprints of the industrial sectors, and their target output goals as well. Therefore, this optimal allocation model is both rational and applicable for sustainable water utilization in future water management strategy formulations.

A hybrid system dynamics and optimization approach for supporting sustainable water resources planning in Zhengzhou City, China

Problems with water resources restrict the sustainable development of a city with water shortages. Based on system dynamics (SD) theory, a model of sustainable utilization of water resources using the STELLA software has been established. This model consists of four subsystems: population system, economic system, water supply system and water demand system. The boundaries of the four subsystems are vague, but they are closely related and interdependent. The model is applied to Zhengzhou City, China, which has a serious water shortage. The difference between the water supply and demand is very prominent in Zhengzhou City. The model was verified with data from 2009 to 2013. The results show that water demand of Zhengzhou City will reach 2.57 billion m3 in 2020. A water resources optimization model is developed based on interval-parameter two-stage stochastic programming. The objective of the model is to allocate water resources to each water sector and make the lowest cost under the minimum water demand. Using the simulation results, decision makers can easily weigh the costs of the system, the water allocation objectives, and the system risk. The hybrid system dynamics method and optimization model is a rational try to support water resources management in many cities, particularly for cities with potential water shortage and it is solidly supported with previous studies and collected data.

Intelligent simulation of aquatic environment economic policy coupled ABM and SD models

Rapid urbanization and population growth have resulted in serious water shortage and pollution of the aquatic environment, which are important reasons for the complex increase in environmental deterioration in the region. This study examines the environmental consequences and economic impacts of water resource shortages under variant economic policies; however, this requires complex models that jointly consider variant agents and sectors within a systems perspective. Thus, we propose a complex system model that couples multi-agent based models (ABM) and system dynamics (SD) models to simulate the impact of alternative economic policies on water use and pricing. Moreover, this model took the constraint of the local water resources carrying capacity into consideration. Results show that to achieve the 13th Five Year Plan targets in Dianchi, water prices for local residents and industries should rise to 3.23 and 4.99 CNY/m3, respectively. The corresponding sewage treatment fees for residents and industries should rise to 1.50 and 2.25 CNY/m3, respectively, assuming comprehensive adjustment of industrial structure and policy. At the same time, the local government should exercise fine-scale economic policy combined with emission fees assessed for those exceeding a standard, and collect fines imposed as punishment for enterprises that exceed emission standards. When fines reach 500,000 CNY, the total number of enterprises that exceed emission standards in the basin can be controlled within 1%. Moreover, it is suggested that the volume of water diversion in Dianchi should be appropriately reduced to 3.06×108m3. The reduced expense of water diversion should provide funds to use for the construction of recycled water facilities. Then the local rise in the rate of use of recycled water should reach 33%, and 1.4 CNY/m3 for the price of recycled water could be provided to ensure the sustainable utilization of local water resources.

Assessing the complex adaptability of regional water security systems based on a unified co-evolutionary model

Abstract A unified co-evolutionary model was developed to study the adaptability conditions of regional water security systems, which is important for the coordinated development of these systems. In this work, the main factors that affect the adaptability of regional water security systems, the contribution of each sub-problem domain to the development of the problem domain, and the fitness values of regional water security systems were analyzed based on the model. Taking Jiansanjiang as an example, the results showed that in 2002–2011, the water resources system had strong adaptability and contributed greatly to improve the adaptability of the water security system; the socioeconomic system had poor adaptability to environmental changes and contributed little to the adaptability of the water security system; and the eco-environmental system was barely able to adapt to the changing environment and contributed less to the adaptability of the water security system. Due to the influence of the socioeconomic and eco-environmental systems, the adaptability of the water security system was relatively weak. Therefore, strengthening the sustainable utilization of water resources, promoting the coordinated development of the social economy, and improving the quality of the ecological environment are effective strategies to improve the adaptability of water security systems.

Employing SWOT Analysis and Normal Cloud Model for Water Resource Sustainable Utilization Assessment and Strategy Development

Water Resource Sustainable Utilization (WRSU) is becoming increasingly important, given growing water resource shortages and widening gaps between water supply and demand. Most existing studies have focused on WRSU levels without a dedicated strategy-oriented framework. In addition, uncertainties occur in the process of indicator quantification and grading, leading to a lack of accuracy in the assessment results. Therefore, in this study, stemming from water resource, societal, economic, and environmental dimensions, an indicator system with qualitative description was introduced by Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to enable development and selection of sustainable water use strategies. A normal cloud model that is capable of addressing uncertainties was used to determine WRSU levels. The comprehensive evaluation results can both reflect the WRSU levels and select the most suitable strategy. The model’s utility was demonstrated by applying it to the case of Shandong province in China. Based on the results, most areas of Shandong province appear to be facing serious unsustainable issues. Appropriate development strategies based on the WRSU levels were provided for improving sustainable use of water resources. The proposed method offers an efficient means for WRSU assessment and strategy development. Moreover, it has the potential to be applied to other water resource issues.