Evaluation of impacts of water resources justice on water saving society initiative in China

Wu Meng; Li Haitang

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-1123.2024.10.006

Abstract：Balancing the three-dimensional goals of safety,fairness,and efficiency in a comprehensive way and promoting transformation to a water resources justice shall be the common challenge faced by the whole world at different scales in dealing with increasingly risks and crises related to water.By introducing the method of improved ternary phase diagram modeling and considering the integration of water-saving society initiative with fair income distribution and delivery of water-related public goods,a model for analysis and evaluation of water resource justice has developed to evaluate the impacts of water-saving society initiative in 31 provincial-level units in China on regional water resource justice from 2006 to 2020.The results show that water-saving society exerts a positive impact on regional water resource justice,with the eastern region taking the lead in coordinated development,followed by the central and western regions,but the development in the northeast region is relatively unstable.In general,a constant improvement has been seen in the coupling and coordinated development of water-saving society and water resource justice.From the perspective of coupling and coordinated development levels between the two,the provincial ratio in the three stages of low-level coupling,antagonism,and coordinated development is 9:14:8,transitioning from"pyramid"structure during the 11th Five Year Plan period to"shuttle"structure during the 13th Five Year Plan period.In terms of layout,the development between eastern and western regions of the Hu Huanyong Line is uneven.Except for Qinghai Province,other provinces in the western region have been in a low-level coupling stage for a long period of time,and their developments have significantly lagging behind.Water-saving society projects in various regions have significantly improved water ecological environment,however water use efficiency and water security tend to be the two most prominent short boards.The study suggests that in the future,a horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism for water allocation should be created and improved in a constant manner.Compensation should be allocated by local governments and supported by the central government.In order to satisfy water demand and safeguard regional food security,energy security,and ecological security,we shall re-modernize cities,boost sponge city construction,attract investments from various channels for water infrastructure construction,promote water-saving society initiative towards fairness,efficiency,and sustainable development and harmony between man and water in the context of high-quality economic and social development in China.