Spatiotemporal variation and economic benefits of the water footprint of rice production in Jilin Province

WANG Bin; HOU Wenfeng; ZHANG Yu; LI Jiangtao; SHAO Zhenzhu; WANG Yin; GAO Qiang

doi:10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2024118

Abstract：[Objective]The water footprint is a key metric for characterizing water usage from various sources in crop production,offering valuable insights for improving regional water allocations.Here,we analyzed the spatiotemporal variations and economic benefits of the water footprint of rice production in Jilin Province.[Method]Using data measured from 2005 to 2020,the water footprints of rice production,including total,green,blue,and grey water,were calculated.Using these data,we analyzed the spatiotemporal variations and economic benefits of the water footprints.[Result]① The water footprint of rice production exhibited significant interannual variation.Total water footprint per unit mass of rice grain ranged from 854.8 to 1 079.6 m3/t,with contributions from green water,blue water and grey water being 314.8-528.5 m3/t,233.1-416.1 m3/t and 214.6-271.4 m3/t,respectively.Over the study period,the total,green,and grey water footprints displayed upward trends,while the blue water footprint decreased.② Spatially,regions with high water footprints were in the Eastern and Western parts of the province,while low water footprints were observed in central regions.③ From 2005 to 2020,the contribution of blue water to rice production declined,fluctuating between 30.6%and 43.5%,with an average of 44.0%.Simultaneously,green water utilization increased by 51.3%.④ During the study period,the center of rice production water footprint shifted Northwest by 99.87 km.⑤ Economic benefits derived from the water footprint improved significantly,with an average of 2.41 yuan/m3,a maximum of 3.36 yuan/m3;the maximum growth rate was 124.0%.Compared to 2005,the water footprint per capita and the average groundwater footprint in 2020 increased by 116.3%and 17.5%,respectively.[Conclusion]The water footprint of rice production in Jilin Province showed large interannual variation.Spatially,it is high in the east and west,and low in the center.Insufficient water resources for irrigation remain a challenge.Increasing economic benefits of water footprint heavily relies on increasing water consumption.Improving water use efficiency and optimize resource allocation is thus needed in the province.