Water resource development and utilization in arid north-west China
Name: JinYicong Student ID: S08725
Research paper supervisor:Dr.Sekou Conde
Minzu University of China
2008-2009 Academic Year
Abstract: From an analysis of the current water resources and their development and utilization in arid north-west China, the authors conclude the extent of channelled water accounts for only 56.0% of the total, exploitable surface-water resources of arid north-west China. The utilization ratio of canal systems is 42%, and farmland use is 0.8. When the ground and surface waters of river basins in the region are comprehensively developed, the channeled water will reach its climax, accounting for 80% of the total, exploitable surface-water resources, which would constitute a 91% increase over current levels in surface-water resource development. In the future,the utilization ratio of canal system as well as the utilization ratio of farmland water will reach 0.9 with the help of scientific and technological advancements.The channelled water is the same as the comprehensive development and utilization stages,but the total water use will be increased by 247×108 m3, and will reach 756.8×108 m3, accounting for 88.2% of the total, exploitable surfacewater resources in arid north-west China. Also, the authors suggest that the scientific and technological measures to increase the water-use ratio include improving management, strengthening protection of water resources and the environment, and increasing studies of water saving techniques.
Keywords Arid north-west China , Water resource , Development andUtilization,Trends.
1.Introduction
The 1990s have so far been characterized by a great deal of concern for the environment in the world. An important environmental concept is that of sustainable development,that is the use of natural resources in a way that will not destroy those needed by future generations. In evaluating groundwater development both the positive and negative effects must be considered, otherwise biased conclusions may be reached.Only with equal concern for the needs of present and future generations,with a fair exchange of technology between countries, and with user involvement can sustainable groundwater development be achieved[1]. Examination of the use of the term aquifer overexploitation shows that there is no agreement on a single definition. In most cases it relates to the overuse of aquifers; in other cases, it is a planned overuse, however, in north-west China, overexploitation. In China,over-exploitation is dealt with in the water influence of ecosystem serious deteriorated and water tables declining fast,and implemented by the regulations that enforce that act.Thus, it is important for water users to co-operate with each other in the development of groundwater. Relevant education is needed for the public and those decisionmakers responsible for determining the appropriate use of groundwater resources for the present and future generations. This paper provides an overview and information related to water resource development and utilization in arid north-west China,and give some suggestions,in order to provide a basis for other researches.
2. The geographic feature of north-west China
The arid north-west area of China covers vast inland tracts north of 35。N and west of 106。E, including the whole of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province, and the area west of the Helan Mountains in Inner Mongolia. This region occupies 24.5% of China’s total land area (Fig. 1).
Fig.1
Sketch map of arid northwest China. I Tarim basin desert and Gobi, II Junggar basin desert and Gobi, III beside
Xinjiang and Gansu Gobi, IV Qaidam Basin desert and Gobi, V Alxa desert and Gobi[2].
From the map,we can see that mountains and plains are alternately distributed in this arid zone. Six high mountain ranges (Altay, Tianshan, Qilian, Kulun, Karadorum and Pamirs) intercept atmospheric moisture, resulting in an annual mountain precipitation ranging from 300–1000 mm. These same high mountain ranges serve as the water source for 653 large inland rivers, which flow to basins and form internal stream systems [2]. Some of the rivers with small discharges of below 1.0×108 m3 soon disappear in the Gobi and other surrounding deserts after flowing out of their mountain valleys. A few large rivers, such as Tarim River, Heihe River and Shiyang River, however, flow to depressions and become inland lakes (Tarim river flows into a terminal lake named Lop, the Heihe River into a terminal lake named Juyan).
Annual rainfall in the river basins varies markedly. The amount of rain in mountain zones around the river basins range from 300–800 mm (Qiliang Mountains),50–100 mm in the middle section, and 20–50 mm in the desert zone of the lower reaches. The surface water of this region is considered important for economic development and the ecological environmental balance of the middle and lower reaches. Such water resource distribution characteristics lead to a close interconnection of surface runoff and groundwater resources with the surface and groundwater interactive by surface water infiltration and groundwater discharge (Fig. 2). These same characteristics also form a basis for the economic developmentand ecosystem balance in the middle and lower reaches of the river basins. Since the 1940s, great changes have taken place in the hydrological regimes and the ecology of these areas; this is due to population growth, socioeconomic development, and large-scale exploitation of water and land resources.
Sketch of the transformation of surface water and groundwater in river basin in arid north-west China (Fan 1981). IOverflowing area of groundwater, II obstruction area of runoff at the foot of mountain, III1 strong seepage area of surface water, III2 overflowing area of groundwater, IV obstruction area of runoff by mountain, V strong seepage area of surface water and evaporation of groundwater
3. The general situation of water in arid north-west China
Water resource data as far back as the 1960s can be found in annual Chinese hydrological yearbooks compiled for each Province: Xinjiang Autonomous Region,Gansu Province, and Inner Mongolia [3].The original records from each station include geo-referenced co-ordinates (latitude and longitude), catchment area, mean monthly surface-water flow, precipitation, river flow rates, river level, lake volumes, storage capacity of reservoirs, plus agricultural and industrial water requirements.The aforementioned yearbook data were transcribed to a series of linked spreadsheets. Obvious data errors were corrected. The period of operation of gauging stations was also variable. Of the 300 stations that have operated within the arid north-west since 1960, 210 stations (70%) have measurements over 30 years or more,with the remaining stations having at least 15 years of measurements. Groundwater information comes from the hydrological geology survey reports of 1970–1975, 1990 and 1995 from Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Gansu and Qinghai Province and Inner Mongolia.
Water resources in arid northwest China provide about 6% of China’s water resources [4]. Mean annual runoff per kilometer in China is 1880 m3 but in north-west China the per capita runoff share and mean annual runoff are 35.2 and 43.1% respectively, less than the country’s average level [5]. Feng said : “The total water shortage in the arid north-west area is predicted to be about 1.5×108m3 by the year 2010, which will greatly influence the agricultural production of the region” [6]. Furthermore, the water resources have some other disadvantageous conditions and problems regarding their development and utilization, such as inadequate amounts, unbalanced distribution, serious wastage and a deteriorated water environment[7].
Water resources in the north and west of north-west China are greater than those are in the south and east. The water resources in Xinjiang are mainly in the moist north-west. Altay and Ili, located in north-west Xinjiang, provide 35.6% of Xinjiang’s total runoff. While Tu-Ha oil field east of Xinjiang receives 2.1% of the total runoff and the Tarim basin south of Xinjiang, with an area of 560,000 km2, receives about 39% of the total water resources of Xinjiang[8]. Most of this is distributed around the edges of the basin. Seasonal precipitation varies greatly in different regions. Under the influences of the Pacific and Indian Ocean monsoons, precipitation in Gansu mainly occurs in summer; and that in the southern Xinjiang is the same as that in Gansu. The naturally channelled water in the Hexi corridor is 19–31% of the total channeled water from April to June, and provides about 35–45% of the annual water demand[9].
In arid north-west China, water resources can be divided into precipitation, surface water and groundwater [10]. However, the majority of precipitation occurs in mountainous areas and thus cannot be used directly in industrial and agricultural development unless it is transformed into runoff and flows into the foothills.Thus surface and groundwater resources and their intertransformations are important concerns to the people living in the region.
Surface water resources
The quantity of surface water coming out of mountains in arid north-west China is about 1049×108m3, of which 120.0×108m3 (i.e. 11.4% of total surface water) flows out of China in the Erqisi River of [...]
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