Toward the Coordinated Sustainable Development of Urban Water Resource Use and Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis of Tianjin City, China
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Construction of Water Decoupling Model
2.2. LMDI Decomposition Model
2.3. Expansion of Water Decoupling Model
2.4. Data Sources
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Analysis of the Decoupling Relationship
3.1.1. Analysis of the Decoupling Relationship between the Total Volume of Industrial Water Utilization and Tianjin Economic Growth
3.1.2. Analysis of Decoupling Relationship between Water Utilization of Three Industries and Economic Growth in Tianjin
3.2. Analysis of Decoupling Driving Factors
4. Conclusions and Recommendations
- The total volume of industrial water utilization of Tianjin first decreased, with some fluctuation and then increased, also with some fluctuation. The average annual growth rate was −0.15%, indicating a generally decreasing trend in the total volume of industrial water utilization. Tianjin’s GDP increased year by year, with an average annual growth rate of 14.29%. These results suggest that the industrial water utilization and economic growth in Tianjin achieved a strong decoupling state.
- The economic scale effect drove the relationship between industrial water utilization and economic growth. This led to a transition of expansive negative decoupling to expansive coupling to a sustained state of weak decoupling. This relieved the water pressure caused by the expansion of economic scale. As a result, the growth rate of industrial water utilization was lower than the growth rate of economic growth.
- The industrial structure effect was the main factor driving the decoupling between industrial water utilization and economic growth. The decline in the proportion of primary industry was the main reason for the decline of industrial water utilization. Tianjin’s current industrial structure was “tertiary, secondary, primary”; the proportion of added value from high water-consuming and low-yield primary industries was less than 1.5%. In contrast, the proportion of water utilization was as high as 65%. The proportion of added value from low water-consuming and high-yield tertiary industries was low. As such, there remains significant water-saving potential by optimizing the industrial structure and increasing the representation of the tertiary industry.
- The industrial water intensity effect steadily drove the decoupling of industrial water utilization from economic growth. During the study period, the industrial water utilization intensity of all three major industries decreased. However, the industrial water utilization intensity of primary industry remained high. Emphasizing reductions in the water utilization intensity of primary industry would help reduce the total volume of industrial water consumed.
- Strengthen the control of water utilization and improve the water resource utilization rate. It is important to target high water-consuming primary industries to implement water resources management practices that combine total quantity control and quota management. This would actively improve basic water supply facilities, treat wastewater and sewage and recycle reclaimed water using advanced technology and improve the efficiency of water resources utilization.
- Rapidly optimize the industrial structure and optimize water resource allocation. The changes in the industrial structure have a driving effect on economic growth and industrial water utilization decoupling. We recommend promoting industrial development from a low to high level, increasing the proportion of low water-consuming and high added value tertiary industries, such as financial services and foreign trade. We also recommend transforming economic development patterns and maximizing the construction of a water-saving society.
- Apply water-saving technology and reduce the intensity of industrial water utilization. Industrial water utilization intensity is an important factor driving the decoupling of industrial water utilization and economic growth. Decreasing the water utilization intensity means decreasing the water utilization per GDP. We also recommend improving the efficiency of agricultural irrigation, by adopting water-saving irrigation technologies such as sprinkler irrigation, micro irrigation and drip irrigation; developing and popularizing advanced technology of low water utilization and eliminating the capacity that does not meet standards.
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Decoupling State | Elasticity | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
decoupling | Strong decoupling | <0 | >0 | e < 0 |
Weak decoupling | >0 | >0 | 0 < e < 0.8 | |
Recessive decoupling | <0 | <0 | e > 1.2 | |
Negative decoupling | Expansive negative decoupling | >0 | >0 | e > 1.2 |
Strong negative decoupling | >0 | <0 | e < 0 | |
Weak negative decoupling | <0 | <0 | 0 < e < 0.8 | |
coupling | Expansive coupling | >0 | >0 | 0.8 < e < 1.2 |
Recessive coupling | <0 | <0 | 0.8 < e < 1.2 |
Years | Decoupling | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2005–2006 | −0.10 | 0.60 | −0.1605 | Strong decoupling |
2006–2007 | 0.17 | 0.73 | 0.2322 | Weak decoupling |
2007–2008 | −0.54 | 0.89 | −0.6109 | Strong decoupling |
2008–2009 | 0.18 | 1.04 | 0.1711 | Weak decoupling |
2009–2010 | −0.59 | 1.28 | −0.4603 | Strong decoupling |
2010–2011 | 0.33 | 1.44 | 0.2318 | Weak decoupling |
2011–2012 | −0.11 | 1.41 | −0.0780 | Strong decoupling |
2012–2013 | 0.54 | 1.44 | 0.3736 | Weak decoupling |
2013–2014 | −0.42 | 1.29 | −0.3226 | Strong decoupling |
2014–2015 | 0.41 | 1.32 | 0.3093 | Weak decoupling |
Year | Primary Industry | Secondary Industry | Tertiary Industry | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
e1 | Decoupling | e2 | Decoupling | e3 | Decoupling | |
2005–2006 | −0.0338 | Strong decoupling | −0.0056 | Strong decoupling | 0.0055 | Weak decoupling |
2006–2007 | 0.2637 | Weak decoupling | −0.0220 | Strong decoupling | 0.0544 | Weak decoupling |
2007–2008 | −0.1910 | Strong decoupling | −0.0375 | Strong decoupling | 0.0439 | Weak decoupling |
2008–2009 | −0.0296 | Strong decoupling | 0.0588 | Weak decoupling | −0.0341 | Strong decoupling |
2009–2010 | −0.4075 | Strong decoupling | 0.0361 | Weak decoupling | 0.1253 | Weak decoupling |
2010–2011 | 0.1135 | Weak decoupling | 0.0259 | Weak decoupling | −0.0858 | Strong decoupling |
2011–2012 | −0.0254 | Strong decoupling | 0.0120 | Weak decoupling | −0.1305 | Strong decoupling |
2012–2013 | 0.1441 | Weak decoupling | 0.0463 | Weak decoupling | 0.0298 | Weak decoupling |
2013–2014 | −0.1930 | Strong decoupling | −0.0024 | Strong decoupling | 0.0524 | Strong decoupling |
2014–2015 | 0.2507 | Weak decoupling | −0.0104 | Strong decoupling | 0.0204 | Weak decoupling |
Year | e(H,S) | e(H,T) | e(H,g) | e(H,P) | e(H,G) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005–2006 | −1.1045 | −1.2000 | 1.6725 | 0.4716 | −0.1605 |
2006–2007 | −1.1916 | −0.4454 | 1.3960 | 0.4731 | 0.2322 |
2007–2008 | −0.8713 | −1.3180 | 1.0277 | 0.5508 | −0.6109 |
2008–2009 | −0.7098 | −0.4469 | 0.9515 | 0.3763 | 0.1711 |
2009–2010 | −0.5578 | −1.0126 | 0.7196 | 0.3877 | −0.4630 |
2010–2011 | −0.4342 | −0.2674 | 0.6808 | 0.2527 | 0.2318 |
2011–2012 | −0.3946 | −0.5036 | 0.5554 | 0.2647 | −0.0780 |
2012–2013 | −0.3289 | −0.0392 | 0.4844 | 0.2573 | 0.3736 |
2013–2014 | −0.3010 | −0.6928 | 0.4613 | 0.2099 | −0.3226 |
2014–2015 | −0.2838 | −0.0188 | 0.4762 | 0.1356 | 0.3093 |
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Wang, S.; Li, R. Toward the Coordinated Sustainable Development of Urban Water Resource Use and Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis of Tianjin City, China. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051323
Wang S, Li R. Toward the Coordinated Sustainable Development of Urban Water Resource Use and Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis of Tianjin City, China. Sustainability. 2018; 10(5):1323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051323
Chicago/Turabian StyleWang, Shasha, and Rongrong Li. 2018. "Toward the Coordinated Sustainable Development of Urban Water Resource Use and Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis of Tianjin City, China" Sustainability 10, no. 5: 1323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051323