Regional Difference of Water Resource Stress in China: An Analysis Based on the Overall Well-Off Society Development Objective

摘要

China has to face a major challenge in managing its scarce water resource to sustain social and economic growth, as its water resource per capita is only about a quarter of the world's average. Because of the great difference in spatial and temporal distribution, water resource shortage has become the most serious obstacle to social and economic development in such areas as North China Plain and Northwest China where there exists extreme water poverty. Currently, China is undergoing a rapid urbanization and industrialization process and strives towards an overall well-off society by 2020.It is of great importance to recognize the local water resource stress clearly in order to exploit water resource more rationally. From the viewpoint of sustainability, the authors established a water resource stress index model to measure the water resource stresses in each province in China arising from population, eco-environment and economic development respectively and their integration. Comparing the values of water resource stress indices among provinces, with the application of ArcGis software, the authors set off the land into four gradual water recourse stress divisions, in accordance respectively with population stress, ecoenvironment stress, economic development stress and their integration on regional water resource. The research results can be used as fundamental reference for policy makers to undertake initiatives towards a sustainable water resource management.