Assessment of Inter-Sectoral Virtual Water Reallocation and Linkages in the Northern Tianshan Mountains, China

Abstract

Quantitative analysis of the reallocation and linkages of virtual water in the economic sector was important for the integrated water resources management in inland arid regions. Taking the northern Tianshan Mountains (NTM) as an example, we applied the environmental input-output model to design the accounting framework for the reallocation of blue and green virtual water (VW) in the economic sector and analyzed the correlation effect of VW reallocation among various sectors by backward and forward linkages in economic analysis. The results showed that the direct blue and green water consumption of primary industry respectively accounted for 99.2% and 100% of the total water consumption in NTM. Planting sector had the largest amount of VW outflow among all sectors. Animal husbandry, forestry and construction had a large pulling effect on VW outflow of planting sector, while planting sector and animal husbandry were the main sectors for VW export of blue and green water. We suggest that the government can increase the import of blue-green VW for agricultural raw materials through VW trade and develop industries such as service and electricity that have less pulling effect on the primary industry VW, so as to improve the economic added value of VW in the primary industry and reduce the loss of VW in primary industry production and trade flows in future water management.