Regional difference of water use in a significantly unbalanced developing region

Abstract

Abstract With a service for the most developed economy and dense population in China, the water use of Guangdong province shows distinct regional difference and is subject to multiple driving forces. The regional differences of total water use (TWU) and water use efficiency (WUE) for Guangdong province and its four sub-regions (i.e. Pearl River Dealt region (PRD), Eastern Wing (YD), Western Wing (YX), and Northern Mountain Region (YB)) were quantified by Theil index, and the influence of various variables on WUE was evaluated through multiple linear regression (MLR) models. Overall, Theil index of TWU showed a decreasing trend whereas Theil index of WUE increased in recent decades, suggesting that Guangdong province has experienced an enlarging regional difference of WUE along with a gradually weakened regional difference of TWU. The PRD has the most significant regional differences of WUE and TWU and accounts for a predominated proportion in the total regional difference. Theil indexes of GDP of industry, per capita GDP and per capita value-added by agriculture had positive regression coefficients and were found to have the most significant impact on the regional difference of WUE. This study has the potential to promote a balanced and coordinated regional development in terms of even regional WUE and TWU.