Water diversion and agricultural production:Evidence from China

Water diversion can alleviate water shortages caused by the uneven distribution of water resources.China’s Southto-North Water Diversion Project(SNWD)is the largest water diversion project worldwide.Based on the prefecturelevel data of China’s Huang-Huai-Hai Plain from 2000 to 2020,this study employs an empirical strategy of Differencesin-Differences(DID)to analyze the impact of SNWD on agricultural production.The results show that SNWD has significantly increased agricultural production,measured by the agricultural value added.The estimated results of the benchmark model remain robust when the contemporaneous policy is addressed,an alternative outcome is used,subsamples are estimated,and alternative estimation techniques are employed.This study argues that the potential impact mechanism may be that SNWD significantly increases the acreage for cash crops but reduces that for grain crops.Heterogeneity analysis shows that in prefectures with high temperature or land potential,SNWD’s impact on agricultural value added is relatively low.In contrast,in areas with prolonged sunshine or high slopes,SNWD’s impact on agricultural value added is relatively large.Given the low added value of grain crops,the government should consider strengthening food security by subsidizing water supply to sustain grain production.

Assessment of impact of water diversion projects on ecological water uses in arid region

In arid regions, large-scale water diversion from rivers leads to significant changes in river flow regimes, which may have large impacts on ecological water uses of river-dependent ecosystems, such as river, lake, wetland, and riparian ecosystems. To assess the integrated impact of water diversion on ecological water uses, we proposed a hierarchy evaluation model composed of four layers representing the evaluation goal, sub-areas of the influenced region, evaluation criteria, and water diversion schemes, respectively. The evaluation criteria for different types of ecological water uses were proposed, and the analytical hierarchy process was used for the integrated assessment. For a river ecosystem, the percentage of mean annual flow was used to define the grade of environmental flow. For a lake ecosystem, water recharge to the lake to compensate the lake water losses was used to assess the ecological water use of a lake. The flooding level of the wetland and the groundwater level in the riparian plain were used to assess the wetland and riparian ecological water uses, respectively. The proposed model was applied to a basin in northern Xinjiang in northwest China, where both water diversion and inter-basin water transfer projects were planned to be carried out. Based on assessment results for the whole study area and two sub-areas, an appropriate scheme was recommended from four planning schemes. With the recommended scheme, ecological water uses of the influenced ecosystems can be maintained at an acceptable level. Meanwhile, economical water requirements can be met to a great extent.

Critical chain construction with multi-resource constraints based on portfolio technology in South-to-North Water Diversion Project

Recently, the critical chain study has become a hot issue in the project management research field. The construction of the critical chain with multi-resource constraints is a new research subject. According to the system analysis theory and project portfolio theory, this paper discusses the creation of project portfolios based on the similarity principle and gives the definition of priority in multi-resource allocation based on quantitative analysis. A model with multi-resource constraints, which can be applied to the critical chain construction of the A-bid section in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, was proposed. Contrast analysis with the comprehensive treatment construction method and aggressive treatment construction method was carried out. This paper also makes suggestions for further research directions and subjects, which will be useful in improving the theories in relevant research fields.

Reliability model of organization management chain of South-to-North Water Diversion Project during construction period

In order to analyze the indispensability of the organization management chain of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project （SNWDP）, two basic forms （series connection state and mixed state of both series connection and parallel connection） of the organization management chain can be abstracted. The indispensability of each form has been studied and is described in this paper. Through analysis of the reliability of the two basic forms, reliability models of the organization management chain in the series connection state and the mixed state of both series connection and parallel connection have been set up.

Land Cover Changes and Drivers in the Water Source Area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China from 2000 to 2015

The Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project(MR-SNWDP)in China,with construction beginning in 2003,diverts water from Danjiangkou Reservoir to North China for residential,agriculture and industrial use.The water source area of the MR-SNWDP is the region that is most sensitive to and most affected by the construction of this water diversion project.In this study,we used Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM)and HJ-1 A/B images from 2000 to 2015 by an object-based approach with a hierarchical classification method for mapping land cover in the water source area.The changes in land cover were illuminated by transfer matrixes,single dynamic degree,slope zones and fractional vegetation cover(FVC).The results indicated that the area of cropland decreased by 31%and was replaced mainly by shrub over the past 15 years,whereas forest and settlements showed continuous increases of 29.2% and 77.7%,respectively.The changes in cropland were obvious in all slope zones and decreased most remarkably(–43.8%)in the slope zone above 25°.Compared to the FVC of forest and shrub,significant improvement was exhibited in the FVC of grassland,with a growth rate of 16.6%.We concluded that local policies,including economic development,water conservation and immigration resulting from the construction of the MR-SNWDP,were the main drivers of land cover changes;notably,they stimulated the substantial and rapid expansion of settlements,doubled the wetlands and drove the transformation from cropland to settlements in immigration areas.

Impact of the eastern water diversion from the south to the north project on the saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang Estuary in China

The south to the north project (WDP) on the saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang Estuary is studied by the improved three-dimensionai (3D) numerical model.The net unit width flux in the Changjiang Estuary as well as the sectional salt flux is calculated in the North Branch (NB),the South Branch (SB),the North Channel (NC),the South Channel (SC),the North Passage (NP) and the South Passage (SP),respectively.The net seaward water flux in the SB is reduced,and the net water flux spilling over from the NB to the SB is enhanced after the eastern WDP.Under the mean river discharge condition in the dry season,the net salt flux spilling over from the NB to the SB is increased by 2.09 t/s and 0.52 t/s during the spring and neap tides,respectively,due to the eastern WDP.The saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang Estuary is enhanced by the eastern WDP.Compared with that during the spring tide,the net water diversion ratio during the neap tide in the NC is smaller,and thus the enhancement of the saltwater intrusion by the eastern WDP is smaller in the NC,and larger in the NP and the SP.The tidally averaged surface salinity at the water intakes of the Dongfengxisha Reservoir,the Chenhang Reservoir and the Qingcaosha Reservoir rises both during the spring and neap tides.

Spatio-temporal distribution of phytoplankton in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, a water source area for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (Middle Route), China

One of the water source areas of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is the Danjiangkou Reservoir (DJKR). To understand seasonal variation in phytoplankton composition, abundance and distribution in the DJKR area before water diversion, as well as to estimate potential risks of water quality after water diversion, we conducted an investigation on phytoplankton in the DJKR from August 2008 to May 2009. The investigation included 10 sampling sites, each with four depths of 0.5, 5, 10, and 20 m. In this study, 117 taxa belonging to 76 genera were identified, consisting of diatoms (39 taxa), green algae (47 taxa), blue-green algae (19 taxa), and others (12 taxa). Annual average phytoplankton abundance was 2.01×106 ind./L, and the highest value was 14.72 × 106 ind/L (at site 3 in August 2008). Phytoplankton abundance in front of the Danjiangkou Dam (DJKD) was higher than that of the Danjiang Reservoir Basin. Phytoplankton distribution showed a vertical declining trend from 0.5 m to 20 m at most sites in August 2008 (especially at sites of 1, 2, 4 and 10), but no distinct pattern in other sampling months. In December 2008 and March 2009, Stephanodiscus sp. was the most abundant species, amounting to 55.23% and 72.34%, respectively. We propose that high abundance of Stephanodiscus sp. may have contributed greatly to the frequent occurrence of Stephanodiscus sp. blooms in middle-low reaches of the Hanjiang River during the early spring of 2009. In comparison with previous studies conducted from 1992 to 2006, annual average phytoplankton density, green algae and blue-green algae species, as well as major nutrient concentrations increased, while phytoplankton diversity indices declined. This indicates a gradual decline in water quality. More research should be conducted and countermeasures taken to prevent further deterioration of water quality in the DJKR.

Penalty model for delay of bidding section construction period in South-to-North Water Diversion Eastern Route Project from perspective of programs

According to the multi-project and program management theory, this paper analyzes the program generation principle and establishes a program based on progress goals. On the basis of the present situation of calculation of penalty for delay of the bidding section construction period with the critical path method, we studied the effects of contractor-induced delay of the bidding section construction period in detail, including the effects on the construction period of the bidding section itself, the earliest start times of the next bidding section and other subsequent bidding sections, and the construction period of the program, and then constructed a penalty model for delay of the bidding section construction period from the perspective of programs. Using the penalty model, we conducted a practical analysis of penalty for delay of the construction period of the Baoying station program in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The model can help determine the amount of penalty for delay of the construction period in bidding sections scientifically and reasonably,

Super-long Qinling Tunnel for Han River to Wei River Water Diversion Project

Han River to Wei River Water Diversion Project in Shaanxi Province is an inter-basin water diversion project approved by the State Council in 2005,which is a key hydraulic project in the 12th Five-Year Plan of China.It is expected to solve water resources shortage in the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi Province,effectively curb the deterioration of ecological environment in Wei River and reduce environmental geological disasters in the Guanzhong area.It is a strategic project for optimal allocation of water resources by adjusting the distribution of water resources in Shaanxi Province and promoting the economic development of the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone.Implementation of the project is of great importance to the sustainable economic and social development of the Guanzhong area.The project crosses the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins and passes through the Qinling Mountain.The huge-scale project has a profound historic impact on the economic development in the region.

Analysis on the Structure of Influencing Factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Implementation of Water Diversion Project

The systematic analysis of the hierarchical relationship among the factors affecting the sustainable supply chain implementation of water diversion projects has theoretical value and practical significance for the sustainable development of large-scale water diversion projects. Through the investigation of relevant literature, books, web pages, materials, and discussions with relevant experts and scholars, a total of 23 factors influencing the sustainable supply chain implementation of water diversion projects were identified. Then using ISM (Interpretative Structural Modeling Method) to analyze the causality of each factor, a multi-level hierarchical structure model was obtained. The results showed that: 1) The surface-level influencing factors of the sustainable supply chain implementation of the water diversion project mainly included 8 factors such as water-saving awareness and water-saving intensity in the diversion area, water quality, water pollution and other disasters, effective incentive mechanisms, etc., and surface-level influencing factors were directly related to the sustainable supply chain implementation of water diversion projects. 2) The indirect influencing factors of the sustainable supply chain of water diversion projects included 12 factors such as the water quality and quantity guarantee rate of the supply chain, the government’s enforcement of laws and regulations, water distribution, ecological compensation, and compensation mechanisms for residents in the water source area. Indirect influencing factor scan acts directly on the direct influencing factors, and intervening in the factors that can be controlled by humans is one of the important ways to improve the sustainable operation of water diversion projects. 3) The fundamental influencing factors for the sustainable supply chain implementation of water diversion projects included three factors: Resettlement policy, government financial support, and sound laws and regulations. Deep influencing factors had multi-channel influence and controllability, and intervening in them was the main means to improve the sustainable operation of water diversion projects.

Wet-Dry Runoff Correlation in Western Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project,China

The Western Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is an important trans-basin diversion project to transfer water from the upstream Yangtze River and its tributaries(water-exporting area), to the upstream of the Yellow River(waterimporting area). The long-term hydrological data from 14 stream gauging stations in the Western Route area and techniques including the pre-whitening approach, non-parametric test, Bayes, law, variance analysis extrapolation, and Wavelet Analysis are applied to identify the streamflow characteristics and trends, streamflow time series cross-correlations, wetness-dryness encountering probability, and periodicities that occurred over the last 50 years. The results show that the water-exporting area, waterimporting area, and the stretch downstream of the water-exporting have synchronization in high–low flow relationship, whereas they display nonsynchronization in long-term evolution. This corresponds to the complicated and variable climate of the plateau region. There is no obvious increasing or decreasing trend in runoff at any gauging station. The best hydrological compensation probability for rivers where water is diverted is about 25% to 10%, and those rivers influenced significantly by diversion are the Jinsha and Yalong rivers. Proper planning and design of compensation reservoirs for the water-exporting area and stretch downstream of the waterexporting area can increase the hydrological compensation possibility from water-exporting area to the water-importing area, and reduce the impact on the stretch of river downstream of the waterexporting area.

IMPACTS OF THE SOUTH-TO-NORTH WATER DIVERSION PROJECTS (MIDDLE ROUTE)ON THE WATER ENVIRONMENT OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER REACHES OF THE HANJIANG RIVER

In this paper, according to the rule of unbalanced sediment transport and the analysis of field data, different water diversion schemes were theoretically studied, including the erosion and sedimentation trend as well as their impacts on the environment of the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River. The results showed that the 95×10 8m 3 water diversion scheme will cause less erosion and water level decrease than the 15×10 8m 3 water diversion scheme. Using a water diversion scheme of 95×10 8m 3, the decrease of water quantity can impact the river hydrodynamic regime substantially and the environments of the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River will be greatly affected. It is therefore necessary to develop new water resources or build projects to meet the need of the environment and the needs for navigation.

Preliminary Study on Strategic Water Transfer Project in Western China

Strategic Water Transfer Project of Western China will transfer water from the Dadu river, the Yalong river, the Jinsha river, the Lancang river and the Nujiang river to the Daliushu project as head work of main canal on the Yellow river. And then,the water will be diverted to Neimongol and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions,with transfered annual volume of water 80 billion m\+3. The project possesses great comprehensive benefit. The construction of the project will not only change the appearance of the whole Northwest China, but also open up a wide way for the sustainable development of China in future.

Optioning Water Rights:A Potential Alternative to the Hanjiang-Weihe River Water Transfer Project,China

China has started shifting from relying on supply management to demand management strategy in addressing its water shortage problems.Water option,a financial derivative for water commodity,has been utilized to manage water demands in the United States and Europe since the 1990 s but is still novel to China.In this study we analyzed the pros and cons of China’s existing system for water rights transfers and proposed an alternative,flexible trading instrument-water options for China.Incorporating the uncertainty to water option pricing,this study first conducted an empirical analysis of the water option in the water-receiving area of the Hanjiang-Weihe River Transfer Project of China,and then evaluated the benefits of the water option applications.Results show that water option trading can bring water cost saving and increase the potential industrially added value for industrial enterprises in the receiving area,and trading of short-and-medium term water options is more favorable than the long-term water options trading.The novel water option trading proposed in this study,once verified through pilot studies,will be helpful in addressing water shortage problems in China.

Water-saving potential evaluation of water-receiving regions in Shandong province on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project of China

Taking 13 water-receiving areas on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project(ERSNWDP)in Shandong Province as the study area,and comparing it with Jiangsu Province on the ERSNWDP and the Middle Route of the South-to-North(MRSNWDP),the current water-saving potential of the water-receiving areas within the municipalities of Shandong was analyzed.Different water-saving scenarios were constructed and analyzed with key water-saving indexes in various industries.These indexes include the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water,total water consumption of industrial sectors with an added value of over 10000 RMB,average leakage rate of the urban public water supply pipe network and the penetration rate of water-saving appliances.Based on the scenarios,comprehensive water-saving potential of the 13 water-receiving area cities was calculated.The results show that the water-saving potential of the study area is at a relative high level.However,some cities still have a certain amount of water-saving potential for agriculture and industry to be elevated.Under the recommended water-saving scenario,the water-saving potential is 1.134 billion m3,accounting for 5.33%of the current total water consumption,of which 460 million m3 is in agriculture,600 million m3 in industry,is and 74.20 million m3 in urban domestic sector.Comprehensive water-saving measures for the study area were proposed from the aspects of agricultural,industrial and domestic water uses.Agricultural and industrial water saving are more significant.The major cities for agricultural water saving include Jining City,Heze City,Weifang City and Jinan City;the focus cities of industrial water saving mainly include Weihai City,Jining City and Qingdao City and etc.;the key water-saving areas for urban use mainly include Zaozhuang City,Jining City and Heze City.

南水北调西线工程水源区可调水量“十问”

南水北调西线工程是我国“四横三纵”国家水网主骨架尚待建设的最后一环,而水源区可调水量是西线工程规划论证面临的焦点和难点问题。本文从水资源本底条件与演变趋势,生态环境与经济社会发展需水,调蓄水库与输水工程规模,调水对水源区及其下游水资源开发利用、水生态环境、水力发电、航运等方面影响的角度,提出了与水源区可调水量相关的10个问题;以长江上游分布式水文模型为基础,建立了南水北调西线工程水源区可调水量模拟分析模型,力图系统、定量地回答所提问题。本文的主要研究结论有:在仅考虑满足水源区河道内外生态环境和经济社会需水的前提下,“上线+下线”组合方案多年平均可调水量为1.59×10^(10)m^(3),“完全下线”方案在建设岗托水库进行联调时,多年平均可调水量将达到1.74×10^(10)m^(3);在综合考虑调水对水源区水平衡、水力发电和航运影响及其可接受程度后,南水北调西线水源区可调水量为1.22×10^(10)~1.26×10^(10)m^(3)。长远来看,应谋划西南片区水网与国家水网主骨架、“大动脉”的连接与融合,在减小南水北调西线工程调水影响的同时,提高南水北调西线工程的整体供水能力以及对气候变化等外部条件的适应性。

南水北调中线水源区植被指数时空变化分析

通过单线性回归(SLOPE)和地理加权回归(GWR)法,用植被指数(NDVI)研究南水北调中线水源区的植被分布变化趋势及机制,为保障水量和水质提供理论支撑。结果表明,2000—2019年水源区NDVI和入库流量呈现同步增长,植被逐渐变好,2007年以前NDVI增长幅度大,2008—2011年处于波动阶段,2012年以后增长幅度减小;NDVI变化最明显的是研究区东北部、西部和丹江口库区周边,这些区域地势相对低平、人口集中,中山和高山区NDVI变化不大;高程、坡度、人口数和城镇化是影响水源区NDVI分布的主要因素,降水、气温和产业比重是次要因素;各因素影响的强度和方向在空间上有异质性,自然地理因素对NDVI影响的最显著范围为高程1090 m以下、年均降水量980 mm以上的区域,人文地理因素影响的显著范围区是人口密度大、城镇化率高的地区。

基于生态补偿的南水北调后续工程水价研究

制定科学合理的跨流域调水工程水价是开展水源区生态补偿的重要途径之一。在现有水价的基础上,新增生态补偿作为水价的重要组成部分,运用机会成本法测算南水北调东线工程水源区生态补偿标准,并引入社会发展阶段系数和政府支付能力系数对其进行修正,构建计入生态补偿的南水北调后续工程水价定价模型。以南水北调东线一期工程胶东干线为例,得到2016、2020年水源区的理论生态补偿标准分别为116.121、199.992亿元,在现行价格基础上水价需分别提高0.93、4.51元/m^(3)。结果表明,生态补偿会耗费大量资金,只有当工程调水能力达到规划设计规模时,持续性调水才能逐步降低供水成本,否则水价会超出受水区的承受范围,工程效益也难以发挥。

水网布局下黄河流域应对极端枯水的关键科学问题

变化环境下极端气象水文事件频发,长江、黄河面临同枯风险。在国家水网建设背景下,为提高长江、黄河同枯的极端不利情景下黄河流域水资源安全保障能力,本文分析了长江、黄河两大流域水资源安全面临的现实问题,识别了变化环境下大型流域枯水遭遇—水危机形成—跨流域调水潜力—多线路成网互济—极端枯水下水资源安全保障中亟需破解的关键科学问题,构建了水网布局下黄河流域应对极端枯水的总体研究框架,提出该领域重点研究方向包括:变化环境下长江、黄河极端枯水遭遇规律与空间变异机制,水危机风险多链路传导与复合影响定量评估,极端枯水下跨流域调水挖潜增供,长江和黄河跨流域联合调配与多线路互济精细化调控、极端枯水下流域水资源韧性提升优化调控等。