Economic and ecological benefits of Jingtaichuan Electric Power Irrigation Project in the upper reaches of Yellow River
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Abstract:
The ecological environment of the Yellow River basin was fragile, and the natural conditions varied greatly across different regions. This presented significant challenges for the coordinated development of the regional economy. At present, there were still serious ecological problems in the Yellow River, such as water shortages, ecological fragility, and the threat of natural disasters. Most regions of Gansu, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and other provinces and regions were located in arid and semi-arid areas. These areas had a dry climate, receive little rainfall, and had insufficient water resources. As a result, these provinces and region faced significant challenges in achieving both ecological protection and high-quality economic development. In order to promote the social and economic development of the Yellow River water shortage region, the provinces and region of Gansu, Ningxia and Shaanxi had undertaken a series of water irrigation projects with the support of the country. The construction and operation of these projects had greatly contributed to the social and economic development, as well as the ecological improvement, of the water area. However, over time, some secondary problems had also emerged. After completing the project, the adverse natural ecological conditions in the irrigation area were changed, leading to substantial economic and social benefits. However, due to the unsustainable irrigation methods in the area, the groundwater level was rising rapidly, resulting in ecological issues such as secondary soil salinization and the degradation of underground water quality. Therefore, it is significant to conduct a comprehensive benefit analysis and evaluation of the upper reaches of the Yellow River in order to gain an objective understanding of the existing problems and find solutions.The economic benefits of the Jingtaichuan Electric Power Irrigation Project since its construction would be analyzed using time series analysis. Based on the normalized vegetation index data from 2000 to 2020, an analysis was conducted to examine the time and space dynamic changes of the vegetation index in the Jingdian Irrigation Area using Slope trend analysis. The results showed that water transfer increased from 89.37 million m3 in 1973 to 605.77 million m3 in 2020, representing a five-fold increase. Additionally, the newly irrigated area was 911,800 mu. In 1973, power consumption was 18.18 million kW?h, and by 2020, it had increased to 1.00 billion kW?h, representing an increase of nearly 60 times. From 1980 to 2020, per capita net income in rural areas increased by 19,854 yuan. Savings deposits of both urban and rural residents have increased by nearly 100 times. Regional GDP increased by RMB 12.2 billion. Fiscal revenue increased by RMB 578 million yuan, which represented an increase of 289 times in 40 years. The vegetation index continued to increase, and the regional ecology showed significant improvement. The average INDV index reached its highest value of 0.41 in 2019. The windbreak and sand-fixing forest area constructed in the irrigated area reached 38,000 hectares. Moreover, the area showing an improvement in vegetation index has surpassed the degraded area, indicating an overall improvement in the state. The continuous expansion of saline-alkali land area since 1980 could be attributed to long-term, unsustainable irrigation practices and extensive land management. After the completion of the Jingtaichuan Electric Power Irrigation Project, the ecology had been effectively restored, promoting the rapid development of the regional agricultural economy and the continuous improvement of residents' living standards. Overall, irrigation was conducted in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Although the construction cost was significant, it could yield substantial social, economic, and ecological benefits. This could play a crucial role in harmonizing the relationship between people and the land, as well as promoting ecological protection and economic development.
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