Using Niche Model to Analyze Water Consumption Structure in Jinan City, Shandong

Abstract

Water resources are essential for healthy economic growth. Based on data on water consumption and industrial structure, this paper analyzes the evolution trends of the regional water consumption structure and industrial structure in Jinan City, Shandong Province, with the theory of the niche and ecological entropy, which may provide guidance for water resource utilization and social economy development in Jinan City. By establishing a coupling coordination model of the niche and ecological entropy, the dynamic niche evolution of the water consumption structure and industrial structure in Jinan City is analyzed. The results show the following: (1) The niche of agricultural water consumption accounts for the largest portion of the niche of water consumption, with an overall decreasing trend year by year. On the contrary, those of industrial and domestic water consumption have shown slow and fluctuating upward trends, respectively. Similar characteristics and trends are also reflected in the ecological entropy of water consumption. (2) In terms of industrial structure, the niche of the secondary industry accounts for the largest proportion among the three main industries, and only the niche of the tertiary industry is fluctuating upward. (3) Over the years, the overall coupling and coordination degree between the water consumption structure and industrial structure in Jinan was classified as a low degree of imbalance–weak coupling coordination. Among them, the coupling and coordination degree of the tertiary industry is the highest, that of the primary industry is the lowest, and that of the secondary industry is increasing year by year. Thus, it is necessary for Jinan to develop efficient water-saving agriculture and high-tech industry, maintain the development momentum of the tertiary industry, and continue to improve its coupling and coordination status.