Uncertain Analysis of Fuzzy Evaluation Model for Water Resources Carrying Capacity: A Case Study in Zanhuang County, North China Plain

Evaluation of water resource carrying capacity in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Basin using the variable fuzzy-based method

The middle reaches of Yangtze River Basin (MYRB) are rich in water resources, with a large number of rivers and lakes. However, in recent years, water resources from this basin are no longer sufficient to support the region's rapid economic development. This study established a model to evaluate the water resource carrying capacity incorporating water resources, population, and socio-economic data. The characteristic values of water resource carrying capacity were calculated using the variable fuzzy evaluation method in MYRB from 2005 to 2020. Although both population and GDP in the MYRB showed an increasing trend between 2005 and 2020, the water supply capacity increased and then decreased. The weights of each index for evaluating the water resource carrying capacity of perennial botanical gardens were as follows: degree of water resource development (0.311) > total water resources (0.24) > population density (0.156) > GDP per capita (0.097) > water resources per capita (0.077) > water supply per capita (0.064) > water resources per unit area (0.055). Furthermore, the water resource carrying capacity in the MYRB showed an increasing trend from 2005 to 2020. In 2020, the carrying capacity of water resources in Changsha, Jingmen, Xiangtan, Hengyang, Wuhan, Xiaogan, Nanyang, and Xiangyang was attributed an evaluation grade of level 3, which indicates that the development and utilization of water resources in these areas were at their saturation point.

Analysis and Evaluation of Variation Characteristics in Groundwater Resources Carrying Capacity in Beijing between 2010 and 2020

The problems of water shortages and groundwater overexploitation are serious in Beijing. Resources are over-exploited to meet the industrial needs of various sectors, and the capacity of groundwater resources to support economic development is also reduced. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the evaluation of regional groundwater resources carrying capacity from the perspective of time and space. This study evaluates the groundwater resource carrying capacity of Beijing from time and space by using the function between water use efficiency and groundwater availability constructed by regional water supply, consumption data and GDP data. The results show that: The proportion of groundwater in water supply in Beijing has decreased and it was still one of the main sources of water supply from 2010 to 2020. From the perspective of time, when the degree of groundwater exploitation (De) was greater than 1, the contribution rate of exploitation degree of economic development (Dg) reached 60% from 2010 to 2015, indicating that the economic development of Beijing is highly dependent on groundwater resources. From 2015 to 2020, the De was less than 1, but the Dg value kept increasing and approaching 90% and the total overload rate was 81.8%. The supporting capacity of groundwater resources will become more fragile. At the spatial scale, only the Dongcheng and the Xicheng regions were overloaded whose rates were 58.48% and 69.92%. The research shows that the degree of groundwater exploitation has approached the saturation state, the economic development is highly dependent on groundwater resources and there is a large space for water saving. Improving the utilization efficiency of water resources cannot improve the carrying capacity of groundwater resources, so it is still necessary to increase the amount of groundwater resources by recharging the groundwater through a series of comprehensive over-exploitation control measures, which is of great significance to the management and sustainable development of regional groundwater.

Oasis sustainability assessment in arid areas using GRACE satellite data

An oasis is an important habitat for humans, plants, and wildlife in arid desert areas. The sustainability of an oasis is crucial for a smooth regional ecological functioning and healthy economic development. However, the overexploitation of groundwater will result in unsustainable oasis development. Due to the lack of long-term groundwater monitoring data, the impact of groundwater level changes on the sustainability of an oasis has not been studied extensively. In the present study, we used the ground water storage anomaly (GWSA) in combination with the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) for the rapid identification of oasis sustainability, which has been tested and evaluated in Hotan and Qira oasis located in arid areas. The results showed that (1) the GWSA is a suitable and reliable indicator for trend change analysis in small-scale oasis and, (2) additionally, M-K test results for long-term trend change of GWSA showed a positive correlation with water resource carrying capacity (WRCC). These results suggest that GWSA can be used as a reliable index for the rapid assessment of oasis sustainability status in arid areas. Moreover, the potential applicability of GRACE satellite data in evaluating the groundwater sustainability in arid areas lacking proper data has also been proved in this study. These findings have provided a foundation to evaluate the sustainability status of an oasis and set a reference point to formulate future policies for the oasis.

River Ecological Restoration and Groundwater Artificial Recharge

There is an extensive water exchange between river water and groundwater in natural conditions [...]

Index System of Water Resources Development and Utilization Level Based on Water-Saving Society

The notion of a ‘Water-saving society’ may help China achieve sustainable development and high-quality development. In this paper, the concept of water resources development and utilization level is discussed from the perspective of a water-saving society, and an evaluation index system including 33 indicators is constructed. This paper takes the evaluation of water resources development and utilization level of Jingyu County from 2009 to 2018 as an example to verify the rationality of the indicator system of this study. Additionally, by changing the sensitivity analysis method of indicator weights, the indicators with greater influence on the evaluation results are screened to reduce the uncertainty of too many indicators and low correlation. The results show that the evaluation value of water resources development and utilization level in Jingyu County from 2009 to 2018 was improved from V to II, and the improvement of industrial and domestic water use efficiency and effectiveness improved the water resource problems in the study area. Sensitivity analysis showed that the sensitivity parameters are the degree of water resources development and utilization (8.7%), water consumption per CNY 10,000 of industrial value added (11.2%), water consumption per CNY 10,000 of GDP (9.3%), leakage rate of the urban water supply network (8.4%), per capita water resources (10.1%), per capita COD emissions (9.3%) and urbanization rate (8.2%).

Evaluation of the Water Resource Carrying Capacity on the North Slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China

Water resource carrying capacity (WRCC) is essential for characterizing the harmony between humans and water resources in an area. Investigation of the WRCC is useful for guiding the sustainable development of a region. The northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains is an important area for the economic development of Xinjiang, China. In recent years, the supply of water in the area barely satisfies the demand. To quantitatively evaluate the WRCC, data for four indicators including the water resources, social and economic development, and ecological environment of the area were utilized. The comprehensive weighting method, which combines the entropy and analytic hierarchy processes, was used to assess these indicators. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model was employed to evaluate the urban WRCC of the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountain for 2018. The results showed urban WRCC values varying between good and moderate for the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, and this indicates that the study area is in a loadable state. Although the water supply can meet the development of cities on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains to a certain extent at this stage, because it is located in the arid region of western China, the shortage and uneven distribution of water resources are one of the biggest limiting factors for the future development of this region. The findings of the present study provide a basis for the development, rational allocation, and sustainable utilization of urban water resources on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains.