Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (3): 469-480.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.03.13

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The spatiotemporal patterns of water ecological footprints, depth, size, and influencing factors in Shaanxi Province

MA Xiaolei1,2(),QIAO Yaqi3,WANG Jie3,JIAO Shixing3,ZHANG Man3   

  1. 1. School of Urban and Environment Sciences, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an 223300, Jiangsu, China
    2. Key Research Base of Philosophy & Social Sciences of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu, Huaihe River Eco-economic Belt Research Institute, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an 223300, Jiangsu, China
    3. School of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, Henan, China
  • Received:2022-03-30 Revised:2022-06-06 Online:2023-03-15 Published:2023-03-31

Abstract:

This study measured the spatiotemporal evolution of water ecological footprint, size, and depth in the Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2019. In addition, the “cross-section fixed effects model” was used to build an indicator system based on the factors influencing water ecological footprint, including economy, population, environment, agriculture, and water conservancy. The results show that: (1) An upward flactuating trend occurred in the water ecological footprint of Shaanxi Province, with a multi-year average of 14.03 million hm2, and agricultural water accounted for the hight average proportion of ecological footprint with 66.65%, while industrial and domestic water accounted for 15.84% and 13.39%, respectively; (2) The interannual distribution of water ecological carrying capacity showed an unbalanced and fluctuating trends with specific values between 6.035 and 37.41 million hm2. The annual average of water ecological carrying capacity in Shaanxi was 16.329 million hm2, which was higher than the water ecological footprint, and showed a surplus water ecological state; (3) In the past ten years, Shaanxi Province mainly consumed the flow capital of water resources, and the size of the water ecological footprint was at high level. However, a large stock capital consumption of water resources occurred in 2001 and 2016; (4) A large difference in the regional water ecological carrying capacity and water ecological footprint was observed in Shaanxi Province, but with a relatively small inter annual change; (5) The economic development level, population, and reservoir storage capacity showed a significant positive impact on the water ecological footprint of Shaanxi Province. To strengthen the ecological carrying capacity of water resources, Shaanxi Province should further improve and consolidate the construction of water conservancy facilities, increase the reservoir capacity, improve the water resources management system, and strengthen the rigid constraints on water resources.

Key words: water ecological footprint and carrying capacity, water ecological footprint depth, water ecological footprint size, cross-section fixed effects model (CFEM), influencing factors