Analysis of Carrying Capacity and Obstacle Factors of Water Resources in Longnan City, China, Based on Driving–Pressure–State–Response and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution Models

Abstract

Measuring the carrying capacity of water resources and identifying obstacle factors are critical prerequisites for the rational allocation of regional water resources and the high-quality development of economic society. This study took Longnan City, a typical city in northwest China with abundant water resources but an underdeveloped economy, as the research object. Based on the DPSR (Driving–Pressure–State–Response), an evaluation indicator system was constructed. TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) and an obstacle model were used to calculate the water resource carrying capacity and main obstacle factors of Longnan City from 2009 to 2019. The results showed that the carrying capacity of water resources in Longnan City had steadily improved, and the comprehensive closeness had increased from 0.44 (2009) to 0.60 (2019). From the perspective of the ruler layer, the carrying capacity of the driving force system increased from 0.05 in 2009 to 1.00 in 2019. The capacity of the state system increased during the change, with the highest value (0.85) appearing in 2013 and the lowest value appearing in 2016. All subsystems, except the pressure system, had a load-carrying capacity of 0.60 or more in 2019. The utilization of unconventional water resources, the proportion of eco-environmental water use, the volume of wastewater discharge, and the per capita urban daily water consumption are the primary factors affecting the water resource carrying capacity of Longnan City. Developing unconventional water sources, improving sewage treatment technology, promoting efficient water-saving technology, and strengthening environmental protection is the key to improving the water resources carrying capacity of Longnan City. This research provides the basis for enhancing the carrying capacity of water resources and sustainable urban development in Longnan City and other cities in China and water scarcity cities in other countries.

A DPSR and SEM Based Framework to Evaluate High-Quality Development in Chinese Manufacturing Industry

“…Results for the first hypothesis are mixed in different contexts, as, it was accepted in the central and east region of China, however, drivers for high quality development in manufacturing industry have least role in influencing pressure in the west region. The results for the first hypothesis are similar to the Dang et al (2023) which shows that changes in the driving forces causes a significant change in pressure in the carrying capacity of water resources in Longnan city of China; However, contradict with the results of Ren et al (2022) which describe that major driving forces of ecosystem health including natural and economic factors can increase or decrease the pressure on ecosystem health. Findings in the study of J.-Y.…”

“…Wei et al (2019) showed a similar pattern where major driving forces of enterprises energy efficiency including technological innovation, society, natural reserves, corporate environmental concern, and investment in R&D. Findings for hypothesis 2 are significant for all regions in China which shows that pressure influences state significantly. Findings from the study of Dang et al (2023) are not so different which show that pressure for carrying capacity of water resources significantly influence the state to take necessary actions. Further, results show a similar pattern with the study of Ren et al (2022) which describe that change in eco-system pressure significantly influence the eco-system state.…”

“…Changes in pressure can lead to shifts in the state of the system, which may include declines in biodiversity, changes in ecosystem structure, alterations in water quality, and other measurable changes. Dang et al (2023) described that Understanding the association between pressure and state is essential for effective environmental management and policy formulation. By investigating this relationship, scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders can find which driving pressures are contributing most significantly to negative changes in the state of the system.…”

Urbanization and the Emerging Water Crisis: Identifying Water Scarcity and Environmental Risk with Multiple Applications in Urban Agglomerations in Western China

“…However, the water resource endowment of each province and urban area in the region is quite different. Although the total amount of water resources in northwestern China is large, the amount of water resources per capita is small, and a large amount of ecological water is polluted [6,7]. Therefore, there is a severe water deficit in the local area.…”