Arid Zone Research ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (6): 1810-1818.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2022.06.11

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of various characteristics and driving factors of gray water footprint in Gansu Province

YIN Mingcai(),ZHU Hao,HU Yuanzhao,LI Zhenzhong,ZHANG Jishi()   

  1. School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2022-04-20 Revised:2022-08-21 Online:2022-11-15 Published:2023-01-17
  • Contact: Jishi ZHANG E-mail:1179017282@qq.com;zhangjs@mail.lzjtu.cn

Abstract:

This study examines the change in the gray water footprint in Gansu Province from 2011 to 2020 and uses the STIRPAT model to analyze the driving factors of the greywater footprint. The results show that the greywater footprint has been declining over the last ten years. The overall decrease was 378.53 billion m3; the maximum decline was 81%. The life, agricultural, and industrial greywater footprints accounted for 43%, 38%, and 19%, respectively. The graywater footprint of the planting industry is greater than that of animal husbandry. The overall intensity of the greywater footprint shows a downward trend, indicating that water resource utilization has increased yearly. According to the degree of water pollution and residual graywater footprint, the water pollution level in the Gansu Province from 2011 to 2016 was greater than one, and the water pollution is relatively severe. The research shows that the residual ash water footprint was negative from 2017 to 2020, indicating that the water quality shows an upward trend. Water environmental problems have been improved, and water resources continue to increase. From the driving factors of greywater footprint in the Gansu Province, urbanization level; per capita GDP; first, second, and third industrial output value; the intensity of greywater footprint; and total retail sales of social consumer goods will all promote the increase of greywater footprint, and the influencing coefficients are 0.142, 0.126, 0.052, 0.382, 0.132, 0.916, and 0.1, respectively. According to the size of the impact coefficient, relevant policies can be developed to reduce the graywater footprint of the Gansu Province, reducing the pressure on the water environment.

Key words: Gansu Province, gray water footprints, driving factor, STIRPAT model, ridge regression