Evaluation and spatial aggregation of ecological water use in each region of the Yellow River Basin

¹ Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450003, China
² School of Water Conservancy Engineering ZZU, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
³ School of Geographical Science and Tourism, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China

First author’s e-mail address: wanghuiliang@zzu.edu.cn
^* corresponding author: 18519500795@163.com

Abstract

Ecological water is the basic condition to maintain river health in a water-deficient basin. The evaluation and spatial distribution of ecological water are significance to the allocation of water resources under the concept of ecological civilization. In this paper, the connotation and composition of value of ecological water are defined from the perspective of ecosystem material circulation. Based on the emergy theory, the quantitative methods of different types of ecological water value are proposed. Combined with the spatial autocorrelation analysis method, the analysis method of spatial distribution and aggregation characteristics of watershed ecological water value is established. We took the Yellow River Basin as an example, and estimated and analysed its ecological water value and the spatial distribution characteristics according to the 9 regions of basin. The results showed that: In the Yellow River Basin, the single water value of the ecological water in the river channel is 17.45-24.36 yuan, the single water value of the sediment transport water is 2.42-7.28 yuan, and the single water value of the ecological water outside the river channel is 10.87-16.61 yuan. Ecological water value presents obvious difference in the space. Both outside and inside the river course, the high concentration areas of ecological water value are in the middle and lower reaches, while the low concentration areas are in the lower reaches, which indicates that we should consolidate the ecological water value in the middle and lower reaches and enhance the water value in the upper reaches. The research results have guiding significance for the allocation of ecological water in each province and region.