Water Scarcity and Generalized Water Resources Management in Urumqi: Contributions from Noncompetitive Water Input-Output Model
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 143, Issue 8
Abstract
Water exists in both a physical and virtual sense. This paper presents a noncompetitive water input-output model for investigating water allocation. The model achieves a robust first-pass diagnostic of water flows in Urumqi, China. Generalized water resources amounted to in 2012, of which fresh, recycled, indirect virtual, and net external virtual water accounted for 22, 4, 12, and 62%, respectively. The water deficit reached , approximately 2.84 times the amount of physical water on hand. External virtual water levels amounted to , 3.14 times the volume of freshwater available. Agricultural activities generated 1.5% of the gross domestic product, but such activities consumed 60% of all freshwater available. In addition, of local water flowed out of Urumqi in a virtual sense. As a result, generalized water resources management is dependent on the following two basic measures: improving the water infrastructure construction mechanisms to increase physical water supplies, and improving trade with water-rich regions to increase virtual water supplies.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported through the Chinese Academy of Sciences On-Job Doctoral Student Cultivation Planning of Western China Project (ZZBS201303) and through the key project of the Urumqi Statistical Bureau (UTJJ201401). The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers and members of the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management for providing useful comments. All errors are our own.
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Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 143 • Issue 8 • August 2017
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 14, 2016
Accepted: Jan 30, 2017
Published online: May 29, 2017
Published in print: Aug 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Oct 29, 2017
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