Arid Zone Research ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (2): 436-447.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2022.02.11

• Water Resources and Utilization • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial-temporal assessment of water resource security based on the agricultural water footprint: A case in the Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang

ZHANG Lili1,2(),DENG Xiaoya2,LONG Aihua1,2(),GAO Haifeng3,REN Cai1,2,LI Zhiyun1,2   

  1. 1. College of Water & Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resource and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
    3. Satellite Application Center for Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100094, China
  • Received:2021-08-07 Revised:2021-10-24 Online:2022-03-15 Published:2022-03-30
  • Contact: Aihua LONG E-mail:2573745042@qq.com;ahlong@iwhr.com

Abstract:

The Hotan Prefecture is a typical inland arid area. Regional water resource security assessment is of great significance for guiding the development and utilization of water resources and promoting the sustainable development of social economy and water resources. Based on the water footprint theory, this paper studied the composition and spatial-temporal changes of the water footprint of agricultural production in the Hotan Prefecture from 1989 to 2018, then analyzed and evaluated the temporal and spatial pattern changes of water resource security status through water footprint intensity and water resource pressure indicators. The water footprint for agricultural production in Hotan has experienced three stages: rapid growth, slow growth, and obvious decline. It is composed of an approximately 8:2 ratio in terms of the water footprint of crop production and that of animal products. Changes in each stage were dominated by the increase and decrease in the blue water footprint of crop production, which were spatially high in the west and low in the east. The intensity of the water footprint decreased according to a logarithmic trend; by 2018, it had shrunk to 1/19 of the original size. The pressure value for water resources in the Hotan Prefecture has not reached 1 for many years; the water resource have remained in a safe state, and the pressure on water resource has been relatively high in the past 10 years. Overall, the water footprint of agricultural production in Hotan has fluctuated and increased over time, the efficiency of water use has increased significantly, and the pressure on water resources has also increased simultaneously, constantly threatening the security of regional water resource.

Key words: water footprint of crop production, animal product production water footprint, grey water footprint, water resource security, Hotan Prefecture