Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern China

Study region: The 16 provinces in Northern China. Study focus: This study constructs a segmented linear regression model to identify the stages of water resource utilization and selects 11 indicators affecting changes in industrial, agricultural, and domestic water use. The logarithmic mean Divisia...

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Main Authors: Xiaokang Zheng, Chao Ma, Hong Lv, Fang Wan, Hao Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825002447
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author Xiaokang Zheng
Chao Ma
Hong Lv
Fang Wan
Hao Wang
author_facet Xiaokang Zheng
Chao Ma
Hong Lv
Fang Wan
Hao Wang
author_sort Xiaokang Zheng
collection DOAJ
description Study region: The 16 provinces in Northern China. Study focus: This study constructs a segmented linear regression model to identify the stages of water resource utilization and selects 11 indicators affecting changes in industrial, agricultural, and domestic water use. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method is applied to analyze the driving and restraining factors behind the changes in total water use in each province. New hydrological insights for the region: We identified three distinct stages of water use in Northern China: drought suppression (1997–2003), economic stimulation (2004–2012), and policy restriction (2013–2021). We selected 11 indicators affecting changes in industrial, agricultural, and domestic water use and applied the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method to analyze the driving and constraining factors behind total water use and its variations across provinces. The results show that economic factors contributed 14 % to changes in water use, while social factors contributed 6.5 %. Additionally, the study highlights the significant role of climate change during the drought suppression phase, whereas rapid industrialization and economic growth played a dominant role in the economic stimulation phase. In contrast, policy restrictions have led to a gradual decrease in water use in recent years.
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spelling doaj-art-4174d27aff7d4bad8a3b349518c0e15d2025-08-20T01:55:37ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-06-015910241910.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102419Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern ChinaXiaokang Zheng0Chao Ma1Hong Lv2Fang Wan3Hao Wang4School of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450003, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, ChinaYellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450003, China; Corresponding author.School of Water Resources, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450011, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, ChinaStudy region: The 16 provinces in Northern China. Study focus: This study constructs a segmented linear regression model to identify the stages of water resource utilization and selects 11 indicators affecting changes in industrial, agricultural, and domestic water use. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method is applied to analyze the driving and restraining factors behind the changes in total water use in each province. New hydrological insights for the region: We identified three distinct stages of water use in Northern China: drought suppression (1997–2003), economic stimulation (2004–2012), and policy restriction (2013–2021). We selected 11 indicators affecting changes in industrial, agricultural, and domestic water use and applied the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method to analyze the driving and constraining factors behind total water use and its variations across provinces. The results show that economic factors contributed 14 % to changes in water use, while social factors contributed 6.5 %. Additionally, the study highlights the significant role of climate change during the drought suppression phase, whereas rapid industrialization and economic growth played a dominant role in the economic stimulation phase. In contrast, policy restrictions have led to a gradual decrease in water use in recent years.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825002447Water useEvolutionary cycleMultivariate regressionStructural decompositionDriving factorsNorthern China
spellingShingle Xiaokang Zheng
Chao Ma
Hong Lv
Fang Wan
Hao Wang
Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern China
Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Water use
Evolutionary cycle
Multivariate regression
Structural decomposition
Driving factors
Northern China
title Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern China
title_full Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern China
title_fullStr Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern China
title_full_unstemmed Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern China
title_short Evolution and drivers of water use in Northern China
title_sort evolution and drivers of water use in northern china
topic Water use
Evolutionary cycle
Multivariate regression
Structural decomposition
Driving factors
Northern China
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825002447
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AT honglv evolutionanddriversofwateruseinnorthernchina
AT fangwan evolutionanddriversofwateruseinnorthernchina
AT haowang evolutionanddriversofwateruseinnorthernchina