Water resource formation and conversion and water security in arid region of Northwest China

Abstract

Climate change and water resource issues are global problems of common concern to the international community, and they are major bottlenecks affecting the eco-environment and sustainable socioeconomic development in the arid region of Northwest China. On the basis of results from previous studies, this paper points out that the unique landscape of Northwest China increases the complexity and uncertainty of the climate system. This paper analyzes the key constraints on socioeconomic development and ecological security in the region, discusses the impact of climate change on water resources in Northwest China, identifies common themes and the main problems present in research on climate change and water resources in the arid northwest region, and finally, based on the importance and urgency of conducting research on the region's water resources, proposes scientific problems that need to be addressed: first, the impact of climate change on the formation, conversion and future trends of water resources in the region; second, bidirectional coupling of high-resolution regional climate models and water cycle models of arid region land surface patterns; third, the impact of climate change and human activities on water resources of the arid northwest region. Through consideration and discussion of the above, this paper seeks to further clarify specific areas of research on pressing issues related to climate change and water resources in Northwest China, so as to establish a solid scientific basis for significantly enhancing our ability to respond to climate change and water shortages.

Spatial Suitability Evaluation of an Arid City Based on the Perspective of Major Function Oriented Zoning: A Case Study of Urumqi City in Xinjiang, China

“…There are many factors that affect the carrying capacity of water resources, including the factors of water supply and water demand, natural factors, and socioeconomic factors. Based on the local characteristics of the water supply and utilization, with reference to the national water supply-demand analysis index system, combined with different expert opinions and relevant literature [62,63], the water resources carrying capacity evaluation indexes system includes four factors-water endowment, water supply capacity, water-saving potential, and external water allocation.…”

Spatio‐temporal variations of nonlinear trends of precipitation over an arid region of northwest China according to the extreme‐point symmetric mode decomposition method

“…Although the methods differ in each study, it is indisputable that precipitation in ARNC has noticeably changed, with clear regional features. Climate change and water resource issues are major bottlenecks that affect the eco‐environment and sustainable socio‐economic development in ARNC (Chen et al ., ). Precipitation is the most important factor for water resources in ARNC, and it is especially important for guiding agricultural development.…”

Uncertainty assessment of potential evapotranspiration in arid areas, as estimated by the Penman-Monteith method

“…The mean annual precipitation in this area is less than 400 mm and is mostly concentrated in mountainous areas; the precipitation in the plain area is less than 160 mm. The arid region of Northwest China is known to be one of the most sensitive areas to global changes (Chen et al, 2015(Chen et al, , 2016. Although the area of oasis accounts for a small proportion of the entire arid area of Northwest China, these areas carry 90% of the population, and supply 95% of the total economic output (Li et al, 2011).…”