Research On Allocation Mode And Application Of Initial Rights Of Water Diverted From Yellow River In Ningxia Area

Water resources are both basic nature resources and strategically economic resources. Ningxia is a drought district in the northwest of China with rare rainfall. Development of social economy there mainly depends on water supply diverted from Yellow River for lacking of local water resources. The amount of Yellow River natural inflow has directly impacts on the social stability and economic sustainable development of Ningxia. With local economic development, the water demands of daily lives, industries, agricultural irrigation and ecosystems gradually increase, and the ration water supply, i.e. 3.7 billion m~3 per year, from Yellow River to Ningxia already couldn't meet the local water demands further with an increasing serious trend. Water scarcity in Ningxia has brought a series of problems such as water quality deterioration, and has imposed great impacts and restrictions on sustainable development of economic society of this area. Therefore, it is urgent to strengthen water rights management and to define initial water rights. This study conducts an initial allocation of water rights for Yellow River Irrigation Areas in Ningxia in order to make water resources best allocated, stimulate water-saving in irrigation areas and promote the establishment of water-saving society. It is also beneficial to economic development, social progress, nation stability, proceeding of western development strategy and construction of well-off society in Ningxia.On the basis of actuality of Yellow River Irrigation Areas in Ningxia, main contents and contributions of this paper are summarized as follows:1. Initial water rights allocation is defined to Yellow River Irrigation Areas in Ningxia, and allocation arrangement of water rights from first level to third level is presented, which provides reference for the actual practices of initial water rights allocation in the Yellow River Irrigation Areas of Ningxia. 2. According to the principles of efficiency, equity and sustainability, the model AHP+TOPSIS for initial water rights allocation is established in this paper. Firstly, several indexes influencing initial water rights allocation are screened out and hierarchical structure model is developed. Secondly, scales 1 to 9 are transformed into index scales by using scale transformation. Then weight of each index is calculated respectively. Lastly, consistency check of decision matrix is performed.3. Considering the average of the year 2000 to 2002 as the value of current year, AHP+TOPSIS are applied to both areas irrigating by gravitation and areas irrigating by pumping respectively. Quantity of initial water rights at regional scale is calculated, that is, the result of the former allocation is the total water rights for each region and needs to be further reallocated at county scale. Results of initial water rights of each region and each county are collected in this paper.4. Based on the results of initial water rights allocation both at region scale and at county scale, water consumption rights of each region and each county in Yellow River Irrigation Areas in Ningxia are calculated under various inflow frequency scenarios. In scenario with inflow frequency = 75%, the total water consumption rights in Yellow River Irrigation Areas in Ningxia is 3.26 billion m~3. In scenario with inflow frequency = 95%, corresponding total water consumption rights is 2.456 billion m~3.5. Combined with the current allocation method of initial water rights and actual practices of water rights transformation in Ningxia, the paper discusses the problems and corresponding solvents during the actualization of initial water rights allocation in Ningxia.6. Agricultural water consumption of each region in areas irrigating by gravitation is calculated one by one. The water-saving benefits of mixed use of canal water and groundwater for irrigation in entire Ningxia area are studied quantificationally in this paper. It is showed that the mixed use of canal water and groundwater for irrigation can effectively reduce the water intake from Yellow River as well as the losses in the conveyance system, and has remarkable water-saving benefits.