Evaluation Method of Water Resource Contribution Rate
in Terms of Emergy
C M Lv, M H Ling
*
, X Guo, D Y Di and H S Zhou
School of Water Conservancy and Environment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou,
Henan, 450001, P.R China
Corresponding author and e-mail: M H Ling, 366357398@qq.com
Abstract. As an important resource, water resource has an important contribution to the
development of the social economy system. Now the majority of study concentrated on the
qualitative analysis and the quantitative analysis is not enough. Based on emergy theory,
according to the flow and transformation of water resources in the social economic system,
water resources emergy contribution rate (WECR) is put forward in this paper, to reflect the
contribution of water resources. And the quantization method of WECR to agriculture,
industry, and social life is presented in terms of emergy, which provide a new method for the
research of water resources contribution for economic and social development. Taking
Zhengzhou as an example, the WECR to agriculture, industry, and social life was calculated
from 2005 to 2015, and the average annual contribution rate was 8.55%, 3.68%, 4.71%,
respectively. The results showed that water resources have the greatest contribution to
agriculture and the lowest contribution to industry. In terms of the trend, from 2005 to 2015,
the contribution rate of water resources to agriculture and industry in Zhengzhou city has
increased significantly, and the contribution rate to social life has remained within a certain
range of values, with slight fluctuations in different years.
1. Introduction
Water resource, as one of the irreplaceable natural resources in economic production and social life,
has undoubtedly contributed to the social economy. How to scientifically analyze and measure the
contribution of water resources to the social and economic forms is a hot issue in academic research
[1]. In view of this problem, domestic and foreign scholars carry out a lot of research [2]. In terms of
conceptual research on the contribution of water resources to socio-economic systems, different
scholars have different opinions. Some scholars believe that the marginal benefit of water resources
is the contribution of water resources to economic production. Some scholars believe that the
elasticity coefficient of water resources is the contribution rate of water resources to the social
economy [3]. In terms of quantitative evaluation methods, according to the literature review, the
current research methods are mainly economic methods, such as the Cobb-Douglas production
function method [4], CES production function method [5] and slow production function method [6].
These methods are based on the monetary theory of economics [7], trying to value water resources
and human activities, and measuring everything in terms of money. But in fact, money is only a tool
to measure the role and contribution of economic activity, and the circulation of money does not pass
34
Lv, C., Ling, M., Guo, X., Di, D. and Zhou, H.
Evaluation Method of Water Resource Contribution Rate in Terms of Emergy.
In Proceedings of the International Workshop on Environmental Management, Science and Engineering (IWEMSE 2018), pages 34-41
ISBN: 978-989-758-344-5
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved