Water use efficiency evolution in the Yellow River Basin: an integrated analysis of spatial-temporal decomposition
Siao Sun
Abstract
Understanding water use efficiency evolution and its driving factors should underpin water use efficiency improvement and water demand management. Here I present an integrated analysis framework combining spatial and temporal decomposition analyses to assess sub-basin water use efficiency performances in the Yellow River Basin. Two well-established decomposition approaches, i.e. logarithmic mean Divisia index decomposition and structure decomposition analysis, are used to break down spatial and temporal changes of water use efficiency variables into different contributing factors, and the sensitivity of the result to decomposition methods is examined. The results indicate that sub-basin water use efficiencies overall tend to improve, but show large variability in the magnitude of improvement. The graph of pathways provides a clear virtual presentation to understand the evolution of contributions from different socio-economic factors to water use efficiency changes. The results help in understanding water use changes and have important implications for sustainable water use and management.