The Water Ecological Footprint

Water ecological footprint can be a true reflection of a person, a region or a country's real needs for water resources and the actual occupancy. Based on virtual water, the water ecological footprint is divided into four parts quantitative terms. According to the data of Erdos City from 1996 to 2005, we calculated the water ecological footprint of the top-down method. The four parts are the virtual water consumption of local products, the water consumption of people living in town and country, the ecological environment water consumption, the trade in virtual water products. The text analyzes the water ecological footprint from the dynamic of time, the aspects of total water resources and water carrying capacity, industrial layout and scale of development, urbanization and ecological environment construction. And then analyzes the water ecological footprint with changes of the local product structure in deeply.This article focuses on calculation of the crop virtual water content and virtual water trade, also the virtual water content of industrial products have been calculated in detail. The results for the water ecological footprint of Erdos City are basically showing a rising trend after the first reduction. The water ecological footprint has shown an overall rising trend most, from 227×108m3 to 258×108m3 with the average annual increase rate of 1.37%, an increase of 13.66%. In the four parts of the water ecological footprint, the highest contribution is the ecological environment water consumption, of which the main part is grassland water demand. The proportion is most of 80% in water ecological footprint. Then, the higher contribution is the virtual water consumption of local products, of which the major part is the milk of the animal products. The proportion is from 3% to 7% in water ecological footprint. Besides, the high contribution is the trade in virtual water products, of which the main part is the food-based agricultural products. The proportion is 5% in water ecological footprint. The last is the water consumption of people living in town and country, of which the major part is the water use of people living in country. The proportion is below 0.2% in water ecological footprint.In further analysis of the impact of the water ecological footprint, with the adjustment in industrial structure and industrial distribution as well as the increase in forest coverage and urbanization, the water ecological footprint are also growing year by year. The water ecological footprint achieve maximum in 2005, when the constitute proportion of three industries is 6.8:52.5:40.7, the forest coverage is 16.29% and the urbanization is 32.64%.At this moment, the water ecological footprint is 258×108m3. With decreased of the water consumption of per-unit GDP year by year, from 35424.60m3 to 4342.24m3 with a decrease of 87.74%. It is suggest that the progress of science and technology play a huge role in improving the efficiency of water use.Finally, we come up with the referential suggestions under the calculation and analysis results of water ecological footprint. The text is to provide the scientific proof for strategic system of water resources management department in Erdos City.