Exploring City Development Modes under the Dual Control of Water Resources and Energy-Related CO2 Emissions: The Case of Beijing, China

Water and energy are basic resources for urban development. It is of extreme importance to balance economic development, water and energy security, and environmental sustainability at the city level. Although many studies have focused on energy-related CO2 emissions or water resources, individually, in relation to socioeconomic development, few studies have considered water and energy-related CO2 emissions as synchronous limiting factors. Here, taking Beijing as an example, a partial least squares STIRPAT model—a method that combines partial least squares with the STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology) model—was used to determine the main driving factors of water use and energy-related CO2 emissions at the regional scale from 1996 to 2016. The empirical results showed that the population, per capita gross domestic product (GDP), urbanization level, technology level, and service level, are all important factors that influence the total water use and energy-related CO2 emissions. Additionally, eight scenarios were established to explore suitable development modes for future years. Consequently, a medium growth rate in socioeconomic status and population, and a high growth rate in the technology and service level, were found to be the most appropriate development modes. This scenario would result in a total water use of 4432.13 million m3 and energy-related CO2 emissions of 173.64 million tons in 2030. The results provide a new perspective for decision makers to explore suitable measures for simultaneously conserving water resources and reducing energy-related CO2 emissions in the context of urban development.

Download Full-text

An improved method for calculating the regional crop water footprint based on a hydrological process analysis

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-22-5111-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (10) ◽

pp. 5111-5123 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xiao-Bo Luan ◽

Ya-Li Yin ◽

Pu-Te Wu ◽

Shi-Kun Sun ◽

Yu-Bao Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Footprint ◽

Process Analysis ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Irrigation District ◽

Green Water ◽

Hydrological Process ◽

Total Water ◽

Crop Water

Abstract. Fresh water is consumed during agricultural production. With the shortage of water resources, assessing the water use efficiency is crucial to effectively manage agricultural water resources. The water footprint is an improved index for water use evaluation, and it can reflect the quantity and types of water usage during crop growth. This study aims to establish a method for calculating the regional-scale water footprint of crop production based on hydrological processes, and the water footprint is quantified in terms of blue and green water. This method analyses the water-use process during the growth of crops, which includes irrigation, precipitation, groundwater, evapotranspiration, and drainage, and it ensures a more credible evaluation of water use. As illustrated by the case of the Hetao irrigation district (HID), China, the water footprint of wheat, corn and sunflowers were calculated using this method. The results show that canal water loss and evapotranspiration were responsible for most of the water consumption and accounted for 47.9 % and 41.8 % of the total consumption, respectively. The total water footprint of wheat, corn and sunflowers were 1380–2888, 942–1774 and 2095–4855 m3 t−1, respectively, and the blue footprint accounts for more than 86 %. The spatial distribution pattern of the green, blue and total water footprints for the three crops demonstrated that higher values occurred in the eastern part of the HID, which had more precipitation and was further away from the irrigation gate. This study offers a vital reference for improving the method used to calculate the crop water footprint.

Download Full-text

An improved method for calculating regional crop water footprint based on hydrological process analysis

10.5194/hess-2018-125 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xiao-Bo Luan ◽

Ya-Li Yin ◽

Pu-Te Wu ◽

Shi-Kun Sun ◽

Yu-Bao Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Use ◽

Crop Production ◽

Water Footprint ◽

Process Analysis ◽

Irrigation District ◽

Hydrological Process ◽

Total Water ◽

Crop Water ◽

Total Consumption

Abstract. Fresh water is consumed during agricultural production. With the shortage of water resources, assessing the water use efficiency is crucial to effectively managing agricultural water resources. The water footprint is a new index for water use evaluation, and it can reflect the quantity and types of water usage during crop growth. This study aims to establish a method for calculating the region-scale water footprint of crop production based on hydrological processes. This method analyzes the water-use process during the growth of crops, which includes irrigation, precipitation, underground water, evapotranspiration, and drainage, and it ensures a more credible evaluation of water use. As illustrated by the case of the Hetao irrigation district (HID), China, the water footprints of wheat, corn and sunflower were calculated using this method. The results show that canal water loss and evapotranspiration were responsible for most of the water consumption and accounted for 47.9 % and 41.8 % of the total consumption, respectively. The total water footprints of wheat, sunflower and corn were 1380–2888 m3/t, 942–1774 m3/t, and 2095–4855 m3/t, respectively, and the blue footprint accounts for more than 86 %. The spatial distribution pattern of the green, blue and total water footprint for the three crops demonstrated that higher values occurred in the eastern part of the HID, which had more precipitation and was further from the irrigating gate. This study offers a vital reference for improving the method used to calculate the crop water footprint.

Download Full-text

Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Island of Crete, Greece

Water ◽

10.3390/w12061538 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1538 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

V. A. Tzanakakis ◽

A. N. Angelakis ◽

N. V. Paranychianakis ◽

Y. G. Dialynas ◽

G. Tchobanoglous

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Availability ◽

Water Sources ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Total Water ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Treated Effluent ◽

Critical Issues

Crete, located in the South Mediterranean Sea, is characterized by long coastal areas, varied terrain relief and geology, and great spatial and inter-annual variations in precipitation. Under average meteorological conditions, the island is water-sufficient (969 mm precipitation; theoretical water potential 3284 hm3; and total water use 610 hm3). Agriculture is by far the greatest user of water (78% of total water use), followed by domestic use (21%). Despite the high average water availability, water scarcity events commonly occur, particularly in the eastern-south part of the island, driven by local climatic conditions and seasonal or geographical mismatches between water availability and demand. Other critical issues in water management include the over-exploitation of groundwater, accounting for 93% of the water used in agriculture; low water use efficiencies in the farms; limited use of non-conventional water sources (effluent reuse); lack of modern frameworks of control and monitoring; and inadequate cooperation among stakeholders. These deficiencies impact adversely water use efficiency, deteriorate quality of water resources, increase competition for water and water pricing, and impair agriculture and environment. Moreover, the water-limited areas may display low adaptation potential to climate variability and face increased risks for the human-managed and natural ecosystems. The development of appropriate water governance frameworks that promote the development of integrated water management plans and allow concurrently flexibility to account for local differentiations in social-economic favors is urgently needed to achieve efficient water management and to improve the adaptation to the changing climatic conditions. Specific corrective actions may include use of alternative water sources (e.g., treated effluent and brackish water), implementation of efficient water use practices, re-formation of pricing policy, efficient control and monitoring, and investment in research and innovation to support the above actions. It is necessary to strengthen the links across stakeholders (e.g., farmers, enterprises, corporations, institutes, universities, agencies, and public authorities), along with an effective and updated governance framework to address the critical issues in water management, facilitate knowledge transfer, and promote the efficient use of non-conventional water resources.

Download Full-text

Water Supply of the Population of Ukraine: Level, Problems and Directions of its Solutions

Scientific Papers NaUKMA Economics ◽

10.18523/2519-4739.2021.6.1.99-104 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 99-104

Author(s):

Viktoria Miroshnychenko

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Supply ◽

Water Use ◽

Regional Differences ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Total Water ◽

Economic Methods ◽

State Of Water ◽

Gradual Introduction ◽

Groundwater Reserves

The article examines the level of water supply of the population of Ukraine in terms of administrative regions, considers the existing problems, and identifies ways to solve them. Regional differences in the annual water supply of the population of Ukraine per capita in terms of local and transit runoff, forecast resources and operational groundwater reserves, the size of their intake, including daily, and indicators of total water supply in the average water and low water (95 %) years. A comparison with the water supply indicators of other European countries is made. According to the indicated sources of water supply, groups of regions in which the state of water supply is critical have been identified. It is recognized as necessary when developing programs to improve water use, first of all to pay attention to areas that have not only lower indicators of total water supply, but also lower levels of operational reserves and projected groundwater resources, which should be used to meet drinking and sanitation. hygienic needs. The structure of fresh water use and pollution of water discharged together with wastewater are characterized. Particular attention is paid to the disclosure of the level of development, the dynamics of groundwater production, the structure of their use, the nature and causes of pollution. The ecological consequences and main problems caused by the natural shortage of water resources and significant regional differences in their provision, pollution of surface and groundwater and violations of the norms of their use are outlined. It is proposed, taking into account the unfavorable state of water supply in Ukraine as a whole and critical in some regions, to pay attention to the need for gradual introduction of economic methods of influence, through differentiation of prices for water supply of different quality, to water consumers and other economic entities. exploitation of water bodies, collection, preparation, transportation of water resources, which would stimulate the preservation and restoration of this valuable and unalternative natural product. JEL classіfіcatіon: Q25

Download Full-text

Patterns of Water Use in California

San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science ◽

10.15447/sfews.2021v19iss4art2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

Author(s):

John Helly ◽

◽

Daniel Cayan ◽

Thomas Corringham ◽

Jennifer Stricklin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Balance ◽

Water Supply ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Resource ◽

Water Resource Management ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Data Set ◽

Scale Data

Recent patterns of water use and supply in California are presented based on a new data set compiled from the California Department of Water Resources water balance data for 2002 through 2016. The water use and supply include surface water and groundwater, although groundwater reporting has been incomplete. These data are used to support the Water Plan released every 3 to 5 years and are the most comprehensive and finest spatial- and temporal-scale data set for California water resources. First, using the Bay–Delta watershed as a case example, we show that recent fluctuations in water use are highly correlated with variations in precipitation. Developed water supplies and use show these fluctuations, but they are modified by reservoir inflows and releases, groundwater supplies, and Delta outflows. Second, although the annually precipitated water supply in the Bay–Delta varies by about 30%, the developed water supply damps this considerably. The water management system maintained nearly constant agricultural water use even in periods of intense drought, with year-to-year variation of about 7%. Variability in urban water use is higher (∼20%), largely from conservation during periods of drought. Finally, this information can help improve water resource management because it connects regional-scale data to meaningful policy decision-making at county and sub-county levels. At a time when water policy and management are being re-evaluated across the American West in the light of changing climate, decision-making informed by science and data is urgently needed. The statewide water balance data provide the means to establish a consistent, quantitative framework for water resource analysis throughout the state.

Download Full-text

Application of Coupling Model with Neural Network and Projection Pursuit Based on Partial Least-Squares Regression to Water Resources Carrying Capacity Forecasting

2012 Fifth International Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Design ◽

10.1109/iscid.2012.261 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Xiao-Yong Zhao

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Water Resources ◽

Least Squares ◽

Partial Least Squares ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Partial Least Squares Regression ◽

Projection Pursuit ◽

Coupling Model ◽

Least Squares Regression ◽

Water Resources Carrying Capacity

Download Full-text

Gasoline to Diesel Consumption Ratio: A New Socioeconomic Indicator of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12145608 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (14) ◽

pp. 5608 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zhe Li ◽

Renjin Sun ◽

Manman Qin ◽

Dongou Hu

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Growth Rate ◽

Least Squares ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Economic Transition ◽

Ordinary Least Squares ◽

Ekc Hypothesis ◽

Socioeconomic Indicator ◽

Consumption Ratio

In recent years, gross domestic product (GDP) has grown rapidly in China, but the growth rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has begun to decline. Some scholars have put forward the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for CO2 emissions in China. This paper utilized the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 1997 to 2016 to verify the EKC hypothesis. To explore the real reasons behind the EKC, the index gasoline to diesel consumption ratio (GDCR) was introduced in this paper. The regression results showed that CO2 emissions and GDP form an inverted U-shaped curve. This means that the EKC hypothesis holds. The regression results also showed that a 1% GDCR increase was coupled with a 0.118186% or 0.114056% CO2 emission decrease with the panel fully modified ordinary least squares or panel dynamic ordinary least squares method, respectively. This means that CO2 emissions negatively correlate with GDCR. From the discussion of this paper, the growth rate reduction of CO2 emissions is caused by the economic transition in China. As changes of GDCR can, from a special perspective, reflect the economic transition, and as GDCR is negatively correlated with CO2 emissions, GDCR can sometimes be used as a new socioeconomic indicator of carbon dioxide emissions in China.

Download Full-text

Water Resources Carrying Capacity Analysis of YarLung Tsangpo River Basin (I)

Water ◽

10.3390/w10091131 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1131 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lili Wang ◽

Zhonggen Wang ◽

Xiaocong Liu

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Water Resources ◽

Population Growth ◽

Water Use ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Population Growth Rate ◽

Water Resources Carrying Capacity ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Yarlung Tsangpo ◽

Yarlung Tsangpo River

Water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) analysis is critically important in providing guidance to the sustainable development strategies of the YarLung Tsangpo River Basin (YTRB) due to the conflicts among the ample water resources, low development level of society, and the fragile ecological environment. This study evaluated the scheduled developing mode of YTRB in the planning years from 2016 to 2030 with a WRCC system containing three components: a hydrological informatics modeling system (HIMS), water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) model, and an index evaluation system. The averaged WRCC index is 4.29, 1.19, and 0.06 for the planning years, and 2.61, 0.98, 0.05 for the baseline years for the three sub-basins. The water deficiency problem becomes more severe in the upper sub-basin and appears in the middle sub-basin with the WRCC index greater than 1, while the water resources are not fully utilized in the lower sub-basin in the planning years, with the WRCC index far less than 1. The GDP of the three sub-basins is greater in the planning years, with 2.25 × 108, 54.60 × 108, and 3.94 × 108 dollars year−1 than those in the baseline years with 1.97 × 108, 47.71 × 108, 3.43 × 108 dollars year−1. However, GDP per capita/cubic meter keeps decreasing due to the great population growth rate and non-enhanced water use efficiency. The sustainability index is 0.04, 0.23, and 0.47 in the planning years, which is lower than the 0.04, 0.31, and 0.50 in the baseline years. Therefore, the scheduled growth rates of the population, urbanization, and GDP are a developing mode with low sustainability and are not appropriate to be continued in the planning years. Further work is needed to identify a sustainable developing mode with a decreased population growth rate, enhanced water use efficiency in the economic system, and the optimized allocation of water resources distribution in the three sub-basins with hydraulic facilities.

Download Full-text

The Allocation of Water Resources in the Midstream of Heihe River for the “97 Water Diversion Scheme” and the “Three Red Lines”

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041887 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1887

Author(s):

Wenjie Geng ◽

Xiaohui Jiang ◽

Yuxin Lei ◽

Jinyan Zhang ◽

Huan Zhao

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Consumption ◽

Water Distribution ◽

Water Diversion ◽

Heihe River ◽

Total Water ◽

Allocation Model ◽

Inland River ◽

Total Water Consumption

Rapid economic and societal development increases resource consumption. Understanding how to balance the discrepancy between economic and social water use and ecological water use is an urgent problem to be solved, especially in arid areas. The Heihe River is the second-largest inland river in China, and this problem is notable. To ensure the downstream ecological water use, the “Water Distribution Plan for the Mainstream of the Heihe River” (97 Water Diversion Scheme) controls the discharge of Yingluo Gorge and Zhengyi Gorge, while the “Opinions of applying the strictest water resources control system” (Three Red Lines) restricts the water use. With the development of the economy and agriculture in the midstream, Zhengyi Gorge’s discharge cannot reach the Heihe River’s ecological water downstream. This paper is under the constraints of the “97 Water Diversion Scheme” of Heihe River and the “Three Red Lines” of the total water use control index for Zhangye County. We constructed a water resource allocation model for the midstream of Heihe River to reasonably allocate water resources in the Heihe River’s midstream and downstream. This model is divided into three parts: Establish the mathematical equation, simulate the water consumption under the different inflow conditions, and ensure each water user’s demand. The result showed that if we fail to confine total water consumption in the midstream, through the reasonable allocation of water resources, the real water use and water consumption of the middle Heihe River will be greater than the “97 Water Diversion Scheme” and the “Three Red Lines.” If we confine water consumption, they will be within the “97 Water Diversion Scheme” and the “Three Red Lines,” at the same time, they can reach the downstream of the Heihe River’s ecological water. Besides, under the premise of satisfying the economic water and ecological water downstream of the Heihe River, returning farmland to wasteland and strengthening water-saving measures will improve water efficiency and be more conducive to allocating water resources.

Download Full-text