Inter-county virtual water flows of the Hetao irrigation district, China: A new perspective for water scarcity

Liu, Jing; Sun, Shikun; Wu, Pute; Wang, Yubao; Zhao, Xining

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.03.009

Cited by 24 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Maize is widely grown in this district, which has abundant light and heat. However, climatic conditions can be harsh, including seasonal water shortages and significant diurnal temperature variations in summer [1][2][3]. Crop production in this region is further threatened by soil erosion, drought, and strong evaporation [4][5][6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Effects of Mulch and Tillage on Soil Hydrothermal Conditions under Drip Irrigation in Hetao Irrigation District, China

Zhang

Zhou

et al. 2016

Water

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Soil hydrothermal condition is one of the most important factors affecting crop growth in arid regions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of mulching and tillage on moisture and temperature variations in soil under drip irrigation in the arid Hetao Irrigation District, northwest China. Four treatments were included: (1) alternating ridges (40 cm wide and 20 cm high) and furrows (40 cm wide) with plots fully mulched with plastic film (RFM); (2) alternating ridges (40 cm wide and 20 cm high) and furrows (40 cm wide) with partial film mulch (only the plant rows mulched) (RPM); (3) flat tillage with plots fully mulched with plastic film (FFM); and (4) flat tillage with partial film mulch (only the plant rows mulched) (FPM). The ridge tillage and plastic film increased soil temperature and significantly conserved soil water, and thus increased the maize yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The RFM treatment had a greater effect than the RPM, FFM, and FPM treatments on the soil moisture and water storage over 0-70 cm in depth during the entire growing period in 2014 and 2015, indicating that full transparent plastic film mulch increased soil water status and promoted deep water percolation, and ridge tillage further enhanced water redistribution to deep soils. Furthermore, RFM proportionally increased soil temperature by 0.36 • C, 1.49 • C, and 1.27 • C above the temperatures under RPM, FPM, and FFM, respectively, in 2014 and by 1.19 • C, 1.62 • C, and 0.35 • C, respectively, in 2015. During the drought year of 2014, tillage influenced temperature more than mulching; however, mulching played a more important role in preserving thermal conditions than tillage during the humid year of 2015. Consequently, RFM increased the maize yield and WUE significantly. We conclude that a combined system of full plastic film mulch and ridge tillage creates beneficial soil hydrothermal conditions under drip irrigation and thus promotes the growth and performance of field crops.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Effects of Mulch and Tillage on Soil Hydrothermal Conditions under Drip Irrigation in Hetao Irrigation District, China

Zhang

Zhou

et al. 2016

Water

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“…Virtual water adds a new dimension to product trade, while the meaning of virtual water flows is scale-dependent [20]. For a certain region, more water consumption and severe water scarcity can be seen when it exports virtual water, while less water consumption occurs if it is a virtual water importer [13,25,27,37].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Virtual water flows are efficient if products are traded from regions with relatively high water productivity to regions with relatively low water productivity, in which case a positive water saving can be achieved; otherwise, virtual water flows are inefficient and a negative water saving, i.e., a water loss, would result [9,13]. A large amount of research has been conducted on water savings on different scales, such as the global scale [14], inter-regional scale [15,16], country scale [17][18][19], and irrigation district scale [20]. Besides these studies, Zhao et al assessed scarce water saving through interprovincial trade within China, for which water scarcity status was considered [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Physical and Economic Water-Saving Efficiency for Virtual Water Flows Related to Inter-Regional Crop Trade in China

Liu

2018

Sustainability

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If products were traded from regions with relatively high water productivity to regions with relatively low water productivity, water saving could be achieved. In this study, two indices—physical water-saving efficiency (volume of water savings per cubic meter of virtual water flows) and economic water-saving efficiency (value of water savings per cubic meter of virtual water flows considering water right trading)—were proposed to analyze the efficiency of inter-regional virtual water flows related to crop trade in China. Results indicated that the volume of inter-regional virtual water flows was 1.61 × 109 m3, more than 90% of which was occupied by oil-bearing crops, cereals, and beans. In terms of physical efficiency, only cereals and vegetables presented negative values. All kinds of crop trades were economically efficient, while most crops’ economic water-saving efficiency was less than 10 × 103 Yuan/m3. The application of advanced water-saving technologies, the cultivation of new crop varieties, the adjustment of regional cropping patterns, or consumption and trade patterns, could contribute to more water savings and higher physical water-saving efficiency, while the possible social, economic, and environmental tradeoffs should be considered simultaneously. Water right trading and virtual water compensation could contribute to sustainable water consumption, and full-cost pricing should be adapted in the future.

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“…Virtual water flows of each county are calculated based on the amount of food transferred and using the virtual water concept. As the food transfer data in the region is not available for each county, the methodology described in Liu et al [38] is applied to measure the food transfer amounts. In this approach, the agricultural products (i.e., crops and animal products) would be exported/imported if the amount of production is more/less than consumption in each county.…”

Section: Virtual Water Transfer and Water Footprint Accountingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual Water Flow and Water Footprint Assessment of an Arid Region: A Case Study of South Khorasan Province, Iran

Qasemipour

Abbasi

2019

Water

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Water challenges—especially in developing countries—are set to be strained by population explosion, growing technology, climate change and a shift in consumption pattern toward more water-intensive products. In these situations, water transfer in virtual form can play an important role in alleviating the pressure exerted on the limited water resources—especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This study aims to quantify the 10-year average of virtual water trade and the water footprint within South Khorasan—the third largest province in Iran—for both crops and livestock products. The virtual water content of 37 crops and five livestock is first estimated and the water footprint of each county is consequently measured using a top-down approach. The sustainability of the current agricultural productions is then assessed using the water scarcity (WS) indicator. Results of the study show that in spite of the aridity of the study area, eight out of 11 counties are net virtual water exporters. Birjand—the most populous county—is a net virtual water importer. The 10-year average water footprint of the region is measured as 2.341 Gm3 per year, which accounts for 2.28% of national water footprint. The region’s average per capita water footprint however, with 3486 m3, is 115% higher than the national ones. Crop production and livestock production are responsible for 82.16% and 17.84% of the total water footprint. The current intensive agricultural practices in such an arid region have resulted in a water scarcity of 206%—which is far beyond the sustainability criteria. This study gives the water authorities and decision-makers of the region a picture of how and where local water resources are used through the food trade network. The generated information can be applied by the regional policymakers to establish effective and applicable approaches to alleviate water scarcity, guarantee sustainable use of water supplies, and provide food security

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Inter-county virtual water flows of the Hetao irrigation district, China: A new perspective for water scarcity

Cited by 24 publications

References 33 publications

Combined Effects of Mulch and Tillage on Soil Hydrothermal Conditions under Drip Irrigation in Hetao Irrigation District, China

Combined Effects of Mulch and Tillage on Soil Hydrothermal Conditions under Drip Irrigation in Hetao Irrigation District, China

Evaluation of Physical and Economic Water-Saving Efficiency for Virtual Water Flows Related to Inter-Regional Crop Trade in China

Virtual Water Flow and Water Footprint Assessment of an Arid Region: A Case Study of South Khorasan Province, Iran

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