VIRTUAL WATER AND WATER

ISSUES IN CHINA

TANG QIUHONG

Virtual Water and Water Issues in China

1. Water issues in China.

2. Virtual Water and water resources management.

3. Some problems in WR assessment.

1. Water issues in China

Water resource per capita (population of 1997)

Unit: m3/capita

4832m3/capita

500m3/capita

2369m3/capita

1. Water issues in China

Water resource per capita (1997)

Unit: m3/capita

1.1 Inland river area

• Water resource: 4832m3/capita [1]

Increase Net - change 1988-95

Cultivated land beginning of 1988

Reclamation %

Cultivated land end of 1995

hectares %

Qinghai 607,679 20,561 3.38 630,318 22,639 3.73

Gansu 5,156,818 48,264 0.94 5,163,570 6,752 0.13

Ningxia 1,260,174 22,542 1.79 1,273,326 13,152 1.04

Xinjiang 3,770,258 317,310 8.42 3,927,213 156,954 4.16

TOTAL 10,794,929 408,677 3.79 10,994,427 199,497 1.85 Source: State Land Administration, Statistical Information on the Land of China in 1995. Beijing, 1996. And equivalent reports for 1988 to 1994.

Tarimu River Upstream

Downstream

Data

① Reclamation increases. (Especially, in Xinjiang)

② Water use at upstream increases. It causes water scarcity downstream (For example, Tarimu River)

1.2 Yellow River area(Huaihe, Haihe)

• Water resource: 656/389/225m3/capita [1]

Decrease Net - change 1988-95

Cultivated land beginning of 1988

Area* %

Cultivated land end of 1995

hectares %

Beijing 413,412 -12,789 -3.09 384,006 -29,406 -7.11

Tianjin 498,511 -2569 -0.52 489,294 -9,217 -1.85

Hebei 7,107,727 -100535 -1.41 7,026,816 -80,912 -1.14

Shanxi 4,764,636 -120265 -2.52 4,712,172 -52,464 -1.10

Shandong 8,025,047 -130829 -1.63 7,970,679 -54,368 -0.68

Henan 8,440,599 -84757 -1.00 8,326,946 -113,654 -1.35

Inner Mongolia 8,225,196 -322,291 -3.92 8,012,721 -212,475 -2.58

Shaanxi 5,699,393 -435,029 -7.63 5,337,109 -362,283 -6.36

TOTAL 43,174,521 -1,209,064 -2.80 42,259,743 -914,779 -2.12

* Conversion to horticulture, forestland, grassland Source: State Land Administration, Statistical Information on the Land of China in 1995. Beijing, 1996. And equivalent reports for 1988 to 1994.

Decrease Net - change 1988-95

Cultivated land beginning of 1988

Area* %

Cultivated land end of 1995

hectares %

Beijing 413,412 -12,789 -3.09 384,006 -29,406 -7.11

Tianjin 498,511 -2569 -0.52 489,294 -9,217 -1.85

Hebei 7,107,727 -100535 -1.41 7,026,816 -80,912 -1.14

Shanxi 4,764,636 -120265 -2.52 4,712,172 -52,464 -1.10

Shandong 8,025,047 -130829 -1.63 7,970,679 -54,368 -0.68

Henan 8,440,599 -84757 -1.00 8,326,946 -113,654 -1.35

Inner Mongolia 8,225,196 -322,291 -3.92 8,012,721 -212,475 -2.58

Shaanxi 5,699,393 -435,029 -7.63 5,337,109 -362,283 -6.36

TOTAL 43,174,521 -1,209,064 -2.80 42,259,743 -914,779 -2.12

* Conversion to horticulture, forestland, grassland Source: State Land Administration, Statistical Information on the Land of China in 1995. Beijing, 1996. And equivalent reports for 1988 to 1994.

① Rapid increases in water use though cultivated land area decreases. (Maybe it is because of increases in irrigated area at downstream: Map)

② Decreases in discharge in to 1990s though precipitations change little. (In Hebei province, precipitation 2.7%, but discharge 25%, water resource 14%, data set 1956-1997 [2])

1.3 Yangtse River area

• Water resource: 2369m3/capita [1]

Areas affected by natural disasters by province, 1996 (1,000 ha)

Source: China Statistical Yearbook, 1997, State Statistical Bureau, People's Republic of China, Beijing, China, p.397. Note: For Shanghai, only total area affected by disasters was available.

① Commonly, Yangtse river has no water scarcity problem (flood control, fight waterlogging).

② Cultivated land area decreases because of the economic growth.

Decrease Net - change 1988-95

Cultivated land beginning of 1988

Area* %

Cultivated land end of 1995

hectares %

Shanghai 358,085 -40,463 -11.30 323,683 -34,402 -9.61

… … … … … … …

TOTAL 26,191,198 -862,960 -3.29 25,528,104 -663,094 -2.53

* Conversion to construction (39%), horticulture (33%), forestland (16%), grassland, fishponds (12%) Source: State Land Administration, Statistical Information on the Land of China in 1995. Beijing, 1996. And equivalent reports for 1988 to 1994.

1. Review main water issues in China

① Flood, waterlogging② Cultivated land area decreases

① Reclamation② Water use in upstream

① Rapid increases in water use② Decreases in discharge

Without water quality problems!

4832m3/capita

500m3/capita

2369m3/capita

2. Virtual Water and WR management

WR= Wa+Wi+We

Wa: water for agriculture; Wi: water for industrial; We: water for environment

For an isolated research area (control):

WR+t =(Wa+ta)+ (Wi+ ti)+(We+te)

t= ta + ti + te

Import / Export Real Water t (Inter-catchment water transfer):

WR + v = …WR =(Wa-v)+ (Wi+ vi)+(We+ve)

v= vi + ve

Import / Export Virtual Water v: ?1. Import VW will not change the WR. Import / Export VW will hurt

/enhance local agriculture.2. Import VW != enhance industry (depend on industry demand, vi )

2.1 WR management in inland river caseWhy have water scarcity problem:① Reclamation② Water use in upstream

WR =(Wa - v)+ (Wi + vi)+(We + ve)v= vi + ve

(Virtual water export: 65.7*108m3 [3])

1. Industry demand, vi , is not very much in Northwest China.2. Export v hurt the environment ve (a seize the water for e)3. Reduce export v will hurt agriculture, but will not get

benefit from industry vi

1. Improve water use efficiency. Reduce the water use but keep VW export (protect agriculture, farmer).

2. Improve industry, industrial urbanization, vi , reduce VW export.3. Water right. (upstream should not use all the water)

ACTIONS:

2.2 WR management in Yellow river caseWhy have water scarcity problem:① Rapid increases in water use② Decreases in discharge

WR=(Wa-v)+(Wi+vi)+(We+ve)v= vi + ve

1. Water in short supply (population increase, economy increase).2. a ,i and e are hurt.

1. Improve water use efficiency. Use same water, do more things.2. Give up. (Import VW [repress agriculture] or encourage people

to move out)3. Change WR. (Import real water!)

ACTIONS:

(Water resource: about 500m3/capita [1])

WR+t=(Wa+ta)+(Wi+ ti)+(We+te)t= ta + ti + te

2.3 WR management in Yangtse river caseWater issues:① Flood, waterlogging② Cultivated land area decreases

1. Agriculture is hurt by industry, not because of WATER, but land.2. Much water run to waste (flow to the sea).

1. Export VW. (Increase irrigated area, 48.2%, data 1998[4])2. Export real water.

ACTIONS:

WR=(Wa-v)+(Wi+vi)+(We+ve)v= vi + ve

WR+t=(Wa+ta)+(Wi+ ti)+(We+te)t= ta + ti + te

2. Review VR and WR management Red: existing circumstance Blue: management VW flow real water flow

land increase, export VWland decrease, move more water to i,reduce VW export a,i,e are short of water

repress a, import VW and real water

water waste (to the sea)Export VW and real water

3. Some problems in WR assessment3.1 Limitation of renewable WR definition

4800m3/capita?500m3/capita

2300m3/capita

precipitation

50-100mm/a400-600mm/a

About 1000mm/a

a i e

4800m3/capita

a i e

2300m3/capita

[5]

(Green water)

(Blue water)

Modified from Johan Rockström 1999 et al.

3.2 VW Trade can save WATER Res[6]?

Water

Food

1 1

2 1

WR

North America South America

!=

The assumption is:WR in NA is same as WR in SA.Deny the WR distribution problem.

Underlying assumption is:If we can transport Real Water form SA to NA, we can get more food (benefit).

From the eyes of management, VW trade can not save WR, (it can only save virtual water?)

Transfer Real Water

Upstream

Downstream

low efficiencyhigh efficiency+ land, other social conditions

Virtual Water

3.3 VW Strategy

WR =(Wa-v)+ (Wi+ vi)+(We+ve)v= vi + ve

Import / Export Virtual Water v:

Investment Profit/ Benefit

Value(v) Benefit(i) + Benefit(e) -Loss(a)

Benefit(i): How much water does industry demand? If we know it, we can calculate Benefit(i).

Benefit(e): How to calculate the value of environment? Mr. Jiang has do some research on it [7][8] .

Benefit!Scientists tell us an object, engineers tell us to reach the object with maximize profit.A good engineer should be a good sociologist first.

Please move your eyes to China!

Thank you for your attention!

Reference• [1] United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

(1997): Study on Assessment of Water Resources of Member Countries and Demand by User Sectors: China - Water Resources and Their Use. New York, p. 9

• [2] 黄河水资源情势分析 , 贺伟程 , 中国水情分析研究报告 , 2000 第 7 期 . (Chinese) Water resources situation in Yellow River, He Weicheng, Report of water issues in China, 2000 (7).

• [3] 虚拟水：中国干旱区水资源管理的新思路 , 程国栋 , 水利专报 . (Chinese) Virtual Water: A new water resources management way in arid area in China, Chen Guodong, Special report of water issues.

• [4] 加强南方水利建设 , 提高粮食自给能力 , 苏人琼 等 , 中国水情分析研究报告 , 2000 年 12月第 34 期 . (Chinese) Improve the irrigation works in south China, strengthen food self-support, He Weicheng, Report of water issues in China, 2000.12 (34).

• [5] Rockström, J., L. Gordon, C. Folke, M. Falkenmark, and M. Engwall. 1999. Linkages among water vapor flows, food production, and terrestrial ecosystem services. Conservation Ecology 3(2): 5. [online] URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol3/iss2/art5

• [6] T. OKI, M Sato, et al. Virtual water trade to Japan and in the world .

• [7] 水资源价值论 , 姜文来 , 北京 : 科学出版社 , 1999. (Chinese) Review of value of water resource, Jiang Wenlai, Beijing: Science press, 1999.

• [8] 水资源价值模型研究 , 姜文来 , 资源科学 , 1999(1). (Chinese) A study on water resource value model, Jiang Wenlai, Resources science: 1999(1).

AcknowledgeMost of the data come from 中国可持续发展信息网 - 水资源与水环境共享网站 (Chinese, Sustainable Development in China- Shared data in water resource and water environment, URL: http://sdinfo.chinawater.net.cn/ ) and Can China Feed Itself? Homepage (author: Gerhand K. Heilig URL: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/LUC/ChinaFood/index_m.htm ).

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Cultivated area

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Drought control irrigation area in Yellow River basin

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Blue water & Green water

• Liquid (blue) water flow is the total runoff originating from the partitioning of precipitation at the land surface (forming surface runoff ) and the partitioning of soil water (forming groundwater recharge).

• Water vapor (green) is the return flow of water to the atmosphere as evapotranspiration (ET), which includes transpiration by vegetation and evaporation from soil, lakes, and water intercepted by canopy surfaces (Rockström 1997).

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