State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Water Res. 2022 Sep 1;223:118980. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118980. Epub 2022 Aug 13.
Existing studies on the virtual scarce water flows within the water-energy context focus on water quantity while largely ignoring water quality. This study improves the quantification method of scarce water uses by considering both blue water (representing water quantity) and grey water (indicating water quality). Based on a scarce-water extended multi-regional input-output model, we investigate the virtual scarce water flows driven by energy demand across 31 Chinese regions in 2012 and 2017. The results show that considering water quality provides new insights into the patterns of interregional flows of virtual scarce water driven by energy demand. The virtual integrated scarce water (VISW) flows, which consider both water quantity and quality, are 5 times the volume of virtual quantity-based scarce water (VQSW) flows. Moreover, certain regions (e.g., Hebei) are recognized as net VISW exporters, but are net importers in terms of VQSW. There are significant differences in the critical interregional pairs identified based on net VISW flows (e.g., Shandong-Zhejiang, and Shandong-Guangdong) and net VQSW flows (e.g., Heilongjiang-Guangdong, and Liaoning-Shaanxi). To reduce water scarcity based on the combined effect of both quantity and quality, the critical VISW interregional pairs should enhance cooperation through compensation payments and interregional technology transfer. This study highlights the importance of water quality in the assessment of virtual scarce water uses. Employing virtual scarce water as a policy tool to mitigate water scarcity might fail without the consideration of water quality.
现有关于水-能源背景下虚拟稀缺水流的研究主要关注水量，而在很大程度上忽略了水质。本研究通过同时考虑蓝水（代表水量）和灰水（表示水质），改进了稀缺水利用的量化方法。基于稀缺水扩展多区域投入产出模型，我们研究了 2012 年和 2017 年中国 31 个地区能源需求驱动的虚拟稀缺水流。结果表明，考虑水质为研究能源需求驱动的虚拟稀缺水流的区域间流动模式提供了新的视角。同时考虑水量和水质的虚拟综合稀缺水（VISW）流量是虚拟基于水量的稀缺水（VQSW）流量的 5 倍。此外，某些地区（如河北）被认为是 VISW 的净出口地区，但在 VQSW 方面则是净进口地区。根据净 VISW 流量（如山东-浙江和山东-广东）和净 VQSW 流量（如黑龙江-广东和辽宁-陕西）识别的关键区域间对存在显著差异。为了在数量和质量的综合影响下减少水稀缺性，具有关键 VISW 区域间关系的地区应该通过补偿支付和区域间技术转移来加强合作。本研究强调了水质在评估虚拟稀缺水利用中的重要性。如果不考虑水质，将虚拟稀缺水作为缓解水稀缺性的政策工具可能会失败。
