The major limiting factor to endurable development in drylands is water resource availability. Northern China’s drylands consist of just 19% of the country’s complete water resources but house one-third of the national population, and are thus under substantial water stress.
Inner Mongolia, a normal, dryland province in northern China, plays a significant part in maintaining ecological security. The country’s anthropogenic water consumption, which is now 6.68 Billion m, has quadrupled in the last few decades.31987 to 27.11 trillion m32015.
This has severely endangered the regional grasslands that are dependent on water resources for their ecological integrity.
The long-standing dispute between the ecological and socio-economic systems has been ignored. This can lead to unexpected problems when policies are focused on one side.
The conflicting water needs have been made worse by climate change. This highlights the importance of water resource management to achieve a balance between economic development and environmental safety.
Inner Mongolia proposed strict regulations regarding water exploitation and usage in 2008 to ensure sustainable development. By adopting such regulations, Inner Mongolia’s government aims to restrict high water consumption and the expansion of polluting industries.
The researchers hope to achieve industrial restructuring towards sustainable development by doing this. However, no systematic evaluation has been done to determine if and how severe regulations on water conservation could ease the tension between economic growth and environmental protection. This data is crucial for policy adjustment and sustainable development.
A research team from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences is currently studying how long-lasting water conservation regulations perform and are effective. The results of the study were published by the Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering journal.
Researchers discovered that regulations led to industrial transformation. This was highlighted by the decreasing percentage of environmentally harmful industries such as steel and the rising proportion of tertiary businesses (especially tourism).
Industrial transformation led to economic development that was not dependent on industrial water consumption. This later led to a decrease in negative environmental effects.
These outcomes led to adaptive strategies being developed for 12 cities.
It was suggested that cooperation and incorporation between cities be done, such as a water trade agreement between central Inner Mongolia (an economically advanced region with high water stress) and east Inner Mongolia (an economic underdeveloped region with comparatively plentiful water resources).
Such an agreement could allow for sustainable development across all regions. Combining the outcomes of the study helped develop a reproducible framework that has been set up for water-management-based sustainable development plans in drylands.
The regulation of water resources can be used to stimulate the internal motivation for industrial transformation. This could lead to synergy between environmental safety and economic development. This allows for long-lasting development in drylands.
Three suggestions are offered for sustainable development of drylands.
- Limit water exploitation and control water cost to resolve the conflict between environment and economy
- Encourage innovation in water technology to increase efficiency
- Enhance regional cooperation to achieve holistic development in a mutually beneficial manner.
Journal Reference:
Liu, Y., et al. (2022) Water resource conservation promotes synergy between economy and environment in China’s northern drylands. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering. doi.org/10.1007/s11783-021-1462-y
Source: https://www.hep.com.cn/