| Water resources are the source of life and one of the most critical material resources in the process of human survival and social development.However,with the progress of society and the improvement of human quality of life,the demand for water resources in human society is increasing,leading to the growing problem of water shortage in China.The Yellow River basin is a vital ecological barrier and economic zone in China,yet water shortage is a long-standing problem that seriously restricts the economic development process of the areas along the Yellow River,therefore,protecting the rational use of water resources in the Yellow River basin is the first priority.In order to realize the sustainable use of water resources,the virtual water theory is proposed to provide a new research direction for water resources management and an important tool for the study of water cycle in socio-economic systems.In this paper,using input-output tables and water resources data for 2007,2012 and 2017,we construct a water resources input-output table for nine provinces and regions in the Yellow River basin,and account for and analyze the virtual water flow process and change trend between industrial sectors within the region through indicators,and account for and analyze the virtual water trade flow between the economic system of nine provinces and other domestic provinces based on the inter-regional input-output table and the trend of change.It is expected to provide policy support for improving the efficiency of water resources utilization and optimizing the structural allocation of water resources in the nine provinces of the Yellow River Basin,and provide theoretical basis for promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.The research results show that(1)From 2007 to 2017,the water use coefficient of each sector of the economic system in the nine provinces of the Yellow River Basin showed a trend of decreasing,indicating that the utilization efficiency of water resources is gradually improving;and there are significant differences in the water use efficiency of each sector,among which,agriculture has the highest water use coefficient,all of which is higher than 240 m ~3 /yuan,that is,the lowest water use efficiency,the tertiary industry has the second highest water use efficiency,and the secondary industry has the the highest;(2)The total virtual water in the economic system of the nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin showed an increasing trend during the decade,from 118.81 billion m~3 in 2007 to 127.62 billion m~3 in 2017,with an overall increase of 8.81 billion m ~3.Among them,agriculture,forestry,animal husbandry and fishery are the sectors that consume the most water resources,but the proportion of virtual water is gradually decreasing,i.e.,the efficiency of water use is increasing;(3)The economic system of nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin is a net virtual water outflow area,and the total amount of virtual water flow shows a decreasing trend,in which the agricultural sector has the largest amount of virtual water transfer,which is more than 50 billion m~3,the sector mainly transfers water to its economy closely linked to the food manufacturing and tobacco processing industry,textile industry and other service sectors,etc.,as the secondary and tertiary industries continue to develop,the amount of water resources demanded from the primary industry is gradually increasing;(4)The virtual water flow out of the economic system of the nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin is mainly concentrated in Beijing,Shanghai,Guangdong,Hebei and Jiangsu and other areas with rapid economic development and high demand;while the virtual water flow in is mainly concentrated in Xinjiang,Heilongjiang and water-rich Jiangsu,Guangdong,Guangxi and other southeast coastal areas,and the trade pattern is gradually expanding.The economic trade between the nine provinces in the Yellow River basin and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei,northeast,southwest and southeast coastal areas is becoming more frequent and the economic ties are getting closer,which also drives a large amount of virtual water transfer and increases the pressure of water shortage in the areas along the Yellow River.Finally,in order to improve the efficiency of water resources utilization in the nine provinces of the Yellow River Basin and alleviate the contradiction between water resources supply and demand,reasonable water resources management strategies are proposed in response to the results of this study:(1)improve agricultural irrigation facilities and increase the efficiency of water consumption in the agricultural sector;(2)adjust the industrial structure and promote the development of the tertiary industry;(3)improve the industrial chain and reduce water resources consumption;(4)adjust the inter-regional trade pattern and reasonably develop virtual water trade. |
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