the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Spatially explicit assessment of water scarcity and potential mitigating solutions in a large water-limited basin: the Yellow River basin in China
Abstract. Comprehensive assessment of the long-term evolution of water scarcity and its driving factors is essential for designing effective water resource management strategies. However, the role of water withdrawal and water availability components in determining water scarcity and potential mitigating measures in large water-scarce basins are poorly understood. Here, an integrated analytical framework was applied to the Yellow River basin (YRB), where the water crisis has been a core issue for sustainable development. Analysis of the water scarcity index (WSI) and other critical indicators, including frequency, duration, and exposed population, suggest that the YRB experienced unfavorable changes in water crisis during 1965‒2013. Irrigation dominated the increase in WSI in the northwest part of the basin before 2000, whereas climate change was primarily responsible for changes in the WSI in most sub-basins during the recent decade. Meanwhile, local water management and climate change adaptation were shown to be important in determining total water availability at the sub-basin scale. Water demand in the 2030s is predicted to be 37.4 km3 based on the trajectory of historical water use, worsening 28.7 % and easing 12.5 % of the total population, respectively. To meet all sectoral water needs, a 10 km3 water deficit is projected. The potential improvements in irrigation efficiency could solve 26 % of this deficit, thereby easing the pressure on external water transfer projects. In conclusion, the integration of water supply and demand-oriented strategies is essential to effectively alleviate the water crisis in the YRB. Our results have vital implications for water resource management in basins facing similar water crises to that in the YRB.
- Preprint
(2972 KB) - Metadata XML
-
Supplement
(2369 KB) - BibTeX
- EndNote
Status: open (until 02 Jul 2024)
-
RC1: 'Comment on hess-2024-88', Anonymous Referee #1, 14 May 2024
reply
This study addresses the critical issue of water scarcity in the Yellow River Basin, presenting a novel and comprehensive assessment framework for analyzing water shortage. By utilizing a combination of models and statistical data, it explores the spatiotemporal changes in this severely water-deficient river basin over a span of nearly sixty years and provides insightful predictions for the future. The research question, which is a unique and crucial aspect in the field, is clearly defined, the thought process is clear, and the logical chain is complete, resulting in scientifically valuable information and conclusions. The figures are also well-designed. However, before formal publication, I have some suggestions for consideration by the authors:
- The abstract and the primary texts are too extended; it's recommended that they be simplified and the main contributions highlighted.
- In lines L103-L105, explicitly addressing the deficiencies in previous studies would be beneficial. For instance, what specific challenges do global water stress assessments face? This requires further clarification. Additionally, the decision not to consider upstream inflow and consumption, while not a significant issue in my view, should be explained or referenced to strengthen the paper's argument.
- In line L122 regarding environmental flow requirements, there has been extensive discussion of this flow rate of Yellow River from different perspectives, leading to varied estimates; you need to elaborate on how you evaluated these considerations here.
- In Figure 2 and the introduction of the study area - clarify how you distinguish between upstream and downstream regions. Or rather, readers expect an understanding of how upstream usage creates pressure on downstream resources within your study area description.
- On the Yellow River, policy-making & unified dispatching already dominate human water use. In your proposed analysis framework emphasizing coordination with upstream, does such coordination significantly impact the basin system?
- We understand that Zhou's data only went up until 2013. Still, the authors need to find ways to explain that the lack of data from the recent decade will not lead to outdated trends affecting analysis or causing bias in conclusion.
- During the discussion, it is necessary to include a comparative analysis with previous calculations using other water shortage indicators. This will highlight how the contributions of this assessment can compensate for the shortcomings of previous ones.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-88-RC1
Viewed
HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
191 | 48 | 7 | 246 | 18 | 6 | 4 |
- HTML: 191
- PDF: 48
- XML: 7
- Total: 246
- Supplement: 18
- BibTeX: 6
- EndNote: 4
Viewed (geographical distribution)
Country | # | Views | % |
---|
Total: | 0 |
HTML: | 0 |
PDF: | 0 |
XML: | 0 |
- 1