Changes in Water Resources Systems: Methodologies to Maintain Water Security and Ensure Integrated Management (Proceedings of Symposium HS3006 at IUGG2007, Perugia, July 2007). IAHS Publ. 315, 2007, 320-328.

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Socio-economic activities and the balance between water resource supply and demand in the Yellow River basin, China

AKIO ONISHI¹, HIDEFUMI IMURA², JI HAN³, FENG SHI² & YOSHIHIRO FUKUSHIMA¹

1 Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan

akio123@chikyu.ac.jp

2 Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan

3 Graduate School and School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan

Abstract The increases of water demand associated with rapid socio-economic development frequently led to river flow stoppage in the Yellow River basin from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. To devise countermeasures for the water shortage, it is important to understand water demand in each region and sector (agricultural, industrial, domestic). The basin covers a vast area, and local industrial structure and natural conditions vary immensely. These societal and natural features lead to seasonal changes in water usage and water resource availability. Firstly, this study characterises the temporal and spatial structure of water supply, and demand for the entire basin are analysed based on the county/city level. Secondly, by emphasizing on the imbalance between water supply and demand, the structure of water supply and demand in the Yellow River basin from 1997 to 2000 is modelled.

Key words water resource management; water supply and demand balance; water shortage; Yellow River basin

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