Measurement,Spatio-Temporal Pattern Evolution And Driving Forces On Regional Water Poverty In Shaanxi Province

Water poverty links water shortages and socio-economic development,it not only a basic problem of people’s life,but also a core problem of the development of water deficient areas.Theoretical studies generally agree that efficient water conservation technologies can save large amounts of water resources.However,the water-saving practice in the past decades has found that the expected goal of reducing total water use by improving water use efficiency,supporting economic development and alleviating water poverty has not been achieved in many water deficient regions.Shaanxi Province is located in the hinterland of China,with a relatively low level of per capita and per mu in China,and the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources is extremely uneven,which seriously restricts regional development and economic growth.Therefore,facing of the long-term shortage of water resources and backwardness of economic development in Shaanxi Province,clarifying the evaluation method of regional water poverty and the mechanism behind the persistence of water poverty,and then propose effective water conservation and water poverty management related countermeasures can open up new research perspectives and solution ideas for sustainable development of Shaanxi Province,which has important theoretical significance and practical value for fully understanding the bottlenecks of water resources utilization and economic and social development in Shaanxi Province,ensuring water security and economic development.Based on the definition and measurement method of regional water poverty,this study sets a unified evaluation method and standard,proposing water poverty coefficient(WPC)trying to measure the degree of water poverty,which tries to express the degree of water stress under a certain level of socio-economic development.First,using the data of land use,meteorological and socio-economic development of 10 prefecture level cities in Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2020 to calculate the value of WPC to measure the level of regional water poverty in Shaanxi Province.Then,the evolution of the spatio-temporal distribution pattern is analyzed by the methods of spatial autocorrelation analysis,kernel density estimation and Markov chain analysis.Next,the paths and drivers of regional water poverty were analyzed by constructing the causal relationship model of driving force-pressure-state-impact-response(DPSIR)and the partial least squares structural equation model(PLS-SEM),exploring the mechanism principles and key variables that lead to the regional water poverty.Finally,the regions and areas where policy interventions should be prioritized and the corresponding measures are proposed to provide a theoretical basis and reference for decision making to alleviate regional water poverty.The results show that:(1)the degree of water poverty varies among regions in Shaanxi Province,with significant differences among regions.The degree of water poverty is gradually alleviated and the overall situation of water poverty shows a good development,but the value of the water poverty coefficient fluctuates widely,indicating that the development of water poverty in Shaanxi Province is unstable.(2)The regional water poverty level of each region in Shaanxi Province has a significant positive correlation in spatial distribution,showing HH and LL-type clustering,with HH-type regions mainly distributed in the southern Shaanxi region and Xi’an City,and LL-type regions mainly distributed in the northern Shaanxi region and the Guanzhong region except Xi’an.(3)The regional water poverty level in Shaanxi Province is converging and gradually clustering to a higher level posture,the absolute difference of water poverty level decreases and the characteristics of polarization tend to be better.Regional water poverty level transfer in Shaanxi Province reflects a certain spatial dependence,and different spatial types have a facilitating or hindering effect on the water poverty level in other areas.(4)The water rebound effect(water savings from efficiency improvements offset by new water use from output growth)leads to water poverty,response(access and use)and impact(environment)are the positive driving forces of regional water poverty in Shaanxi Province.Based on the analysis of regional water poverty measurement results,spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and driving mechanisms in Shaanxi Province,this study proposes relevant policy recommendations,extending the depth and breadth of theoretical and methodological research on water poverty,providing a theoretical basis and decision-making reference for managing regional water poverty.