A Comprehensive Post Evaluation of the Implementation of Water-Saving Measures in Xiangtan, Hunan Province, China

Abstract

Water resource is an important foundation to support industrial and agricultural production, in the maintenance of national energy security role is irreplaceable. Water conservation and the effective use of water resources are essential for achieving sustainable development in China. The construction of water-saving society is a prerequisite for realizing efficient utilization of water resources and an important strategic development for moving towards environment-friendly society. This study established an index system to evaluate the implementation of water-saving measures in Xiangtan, Hunan province, China. The index system incorporated five aspects: (1) comprehensiveness; (2) agricultural water; (3) industrial water; (4) domestic water, and; (5) aquatic ecology and environmental management. Analytic hierarchy (AH) was used to determine the weights of indices, and AH was integrated with grey relative analysis to establish a comprehensive system for the evaluation of the water-saving measures in Xiangtan. The results showed that the implementation of water-saving measures in Xiangtan is generally progressing well. However, industrial added value water consumption per 10,000-yuan remains at the primary stage and wastewater reuse remains limited. In addition, water use per 10,000-yuan gross domestic product, the coverage of water-saving irrigation projects, industrial wastewater reuse, and the leakage rate of urban water supply network remain at an intermediate stage. The result of this study can scientifically reflect the level of the water-saving measures in place in Xiangtan and could guide future implementation of water saving measures in Xiangtan and in other cities.