Identification of Water-Reuse Potentials to Strengthen Rural Areas in Water-Scarce Regions—The Case Study of Wuwei

Abstract

Due to water scarcity, which is worsening due to climate change, rural areas often face the challenge of rural exoduses. Limited water resources restrict local farmers as the opportunities for cultivation in the fields are reduced. This makes rural areas increasingly unattractive. To strengthen rural areas, sustainable water management with a focus on water-reuse is required. Since treated wastewater is a daily resource with calculable quantities available, reused water can contribute to the sustainable strengthening of a region. Therefore, an analysis of water-reuse potentials must be conducted to develop a water-reuse concept and thus increase the application of reused water. For this purpose, a case study of Wuwei as a rural and water-scarce region in China was chosen. By using a geoinformation system, the unfulfilled water-reuse potential can be identified by intersecting the results of the analysis regarding the current water supply and disposal situation with spatial and regional information, such as population data. Hence, the study presents the potential to increase wastewater treatment and water-reuse for, e.g., agricultural irrigation. It is shown that, in the best case, reused water can be increased from 5479 m3 per day to 207,461 m3 per day. Resource efficiency can be further increased by combining water-reuse concepts with land-use strategies adapted to climate change. This will ensure a more sustainable water supply in the future.

Simulation of the Ecological Service Value and Ecological Compensation in Arid Area: A Case Study of Ecologically Vulnerable Oasis

“…Wuwei (Figure 1) (36 [46]. The terrain is complex, with the southern area belonging to the Qilian Mountains, and the climate is suitable for the development of forestry and animal husbandry.…”

“…Wuwei (Figure 1) (36°29′~39°27′N, 101°49′~104°16′E) is located in Northwest China, at the intersection of the Loess Plateau, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the Mongolian Plateau [46]. The terrain is complex, with the southern area belonging to the Qilian Mountains, and the climate is suitable for the development of forestry and animal husbandry.…”

Economic Analysis of the Use of Reclaimed Water in Agriculture in Southeastern Spain, A Mediterranean Region

“…From a sustainability perspective, as well as helping with water stress reduction and aquifer recovery, reclaimed wastewater use in agriculture decreases water pollution by providing a solution for the disposal of wastewater, instead of it being discharged into waterways without any treatment, which is currently over 80% [47][48][49][50][51][52]. Another relevant example of tertiary water helping farmers to increase economic profit is with fertilizers, which can be reduced by up to 66%, helping to improve soil fertility and fruit quality [53,54].…”