Evaluating water resource utilization in central China using the energy-based water ecological footprint model

• Published in: Guanʻgai paishui xuebao Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 11 - 18
• Main Authors: JIAO Shixing, WANG Anzhou, LIU Jiale, LIU Chang, ZHAO Rongqin, LI Zhongxuan, WEI Linghan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: Science Press 01.02.2025
• ISSN: 1672-3317
• DOI: 10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2024175

【Objective】Understanding water utilization across sectors and regions is essential for regional water resource management and sustainable development. The objective of this paper is to evaluate water usage in six provinces in central China, providing insights into sustainable water resource management.【Method】Using an energy-based ecological theory, we calculated the spatiotemporal variation in the ecological carrying capacity of water in the six provinces and analyzed its composition.【Result】① The energy-based water ecological footprint across the six provinces shows a fluctuating upward trend. Surface water contributes the highest ecological carrying capacity (84%), followed by groundwater (9%) and rainwater (7%). ② The water ecological surplus index indicates a fluctuating upward trend but reveals an overall water ecological deficit. The ecological pressure index exhibits a fluctuating downward trend, peaking in 2011 and reaching its lowest point in 2016. ③ Both the energy-based ecological carrying capacit