TITLE:
The Process of Cultivated Land and Water Resource Distribution Changing in Recent Decades in Upstream and Downstream in Shiyang Inland River Basin in Arid Area of Northwest China
AUTHORS:
Huaidong Wei, Ya Li, Cundong Xu, Lanping Zhou, Xiaoke Hu, Feng Ding, Fang Chen
KEYWORDS:
Shiyang Inland River Basin, Water Resources, Cultivated Area, Changes
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.4 No.7,
July
30,
2016
ABSTRACT: Last century 50 - 70
years, the dam construction of Shiyang Inland River Basin (SIRB) profound impact
on the distribution of water resources and arable land in the basin. Through data
collection, field surveys and remote sensing image interpretation, we analysis the
use of land and water resources change process in the middle and lower reaches of
SIRB in recent decades. The results show: (1) The cultivated area of SIRB has been
an upward trend in recent decades, The whole basin cultivated area has increased
total 229,000 hm2 from 1973 to 2010 and mainly in the middle and lower
reaches. Midstream increased by 149,700 hm2 accounting for 65.36 percent
of total, downstream increased by 70,000 hm2 accounting for 30.70 percent
of total. (2) The amount of surface water resources of downstream reduce significantly
gradually since dam construction, and the water table sharp decline. While the volume
of surface water resources come downstream from the 1950s accounted for 30 to 40
percent of the total gradually reduced to less than 10% in 2012; (3) since the arable
land area of middle and lower reaches of SIRB basin substantial increase, so the
surface water resource does not meet irrigation needs. Agricultural irrigation relies
heavily on exploitation of groundwater to supplement, resulting in Regional Groundwater
Depth dropped rapidly, and forming several huge funnel groundwater settlements.
20 years from 1981 to 2001 the groundwater level of midstream dropped from around
5m to around 10m in Wuwei, and in Minqin dam-region of downstream along faster rate
of decline in 20 years fell from 8.52 m to 22.68 m. Dam construction project has
changed the pattern of the basin water cycle, the middle reaches closure a large
number of surface water resources led to downstream sharp decline. Downstream continued
exploitation of groundwater formed a few huge funnel groundwater settlements, it
caused serious ecological problems. The basin should adjust the industrial structure
and develop water saving irrigation, promote a virtuous cycle of water resources,
to achieve sustainable development, seek a sustainable development ways conversion
natural oasis to artificial oasis efficiency in arid zone.