Exploring the Sustainable Use Strategy of Scarce Water Resources for Rural Revitalization in Yanchi County from Arid Region of Northwest China

Abstract

Water scarcity limits the coordination between economic development and ecological protection of arid regions. This study presented the consumption pattern and future challenges for water resources and proposed sustainable use strategies for water security in Yanchi county from the arid region of northwest China. Our results showed that water withdrawals were close to the total available water resources. Agriculture consumed about 84.72% of the total water supply. Agricultural water use was influenced by breeding stock, rural per capita net income and effective irrigation area. Estimation of agricultural water demand was about 6582.20 × 104 m3 under the rural revitalization scenario. Limited water supply and increased water demand pose challenges and impediments for rural revitalization and water security in Yanchi county. Water sustainable utilization can be achieved by increasing water supply from unconventional water resources and improving water use efficiency with governmental management. These findings may help policymakers to develop sustainable water use strategies during rural revitalization in arid regions.

Scenario-Based Assessment of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Kuwait: Insights for Effective Resource Management

“…The impact of socio-economic development on water production and utilization is substantial and can be seen in several ways [4]: 1) an increase in population and economic growth can lead to higher water demand for household, industrial, and agricultural use; 2) improved living standards and rising incomes can increase water usage for domestic purposes, such as for washing and flushing toilets; 3) expansion of the agricultural and industrial sectors can result in higher water usage for irrigation and industrial processes; 4) changes in consumption patterns, such as an increase in meat consumption, can lead to higher demand for water-intensive food production.…”