Abstract
Studying regional water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) is an important guarantee for realizing regional sustainable development. Previous evaluation of WRCC mainly focused on the construction of the index system and the optimization of multiattribute decision analysis methods (MDAMs). The selection of the weighting assignment method (WAM) is a key link in the evaluation of WRCC, but different WAMs may bring different results, which brings challenges to the actual WRCC evaluation. Therefore, this paper proposes a WAM selection framework, under which WRCC evaluation index system is firstly constructed. Secondly, from the four objective WAMs, the most suitable WAM is identified and selected to evaluate WRCC in Fujian Province in terms of the reliability and stability of the evaluation results. In addition, the main factors affecting regional WRCC are discussed using the obstacle degree model. The results show that (1) under the same evaluation index system, the CRITIC method was the suitable method with more reliability and stability than the coefficient of variation method, the entropy method, and the equal weight method. (2) The higher water resources carrying capacity (level I) is mainly located in the west of the study area, and the lower one (level V) is located in the east coast. (3) The superimposition effects ecological water use rate, water production modulus, acreage water consumption of farmland irrigation, per capita water resources, and COD emissions hindering the level of regional WRCC. The framework proposed in this study can provide methodological options for quantitative evaluation of WRCC. The results of this paper provide favorable support for decision makers to carry out rational planning of resources.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-022-22284-6/MediaObjects/11356_2022_22284_Fig1_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-022-22284-6/MediaObjects/11356_2022_22284_Fig2_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-022-22284-6/MediaObjects/11356_2022_22284_Fig3_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-022-22284-6/MediaObjects/11356_2022_22284_Fig4_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data used in this study can be requested by the corresponding authors.
References
Cheng K, Fu Q, Meng J, Li TX, Pei W (2018) Analysis of the spatial variation and identification of factors affecting the water resources carrying capacity based on the cloud model. Water Resour Manage 32(8):1–15
Chi MB, Zhang DS, Fan GW, Zhang W, Liu HL (2019) Prediction of water resource carrying capacity by the analytic hierarchy process-fuzzy discrimination method in a mining area. Ecol Indic 96(JAN):647–655
Cui Y, Feng P, ** JL, Liu L (2018) Water resources carrying capacity evaluation and diagnosis based on set pair analysis and improved the entropy weight method. Entropy 20(5):359
Deng ZH, Dai LQ, Deng B, Tian XY (2021) Evaluation and spatial-temporal evolution of water resources carrying capacity in Dongting lake basin. J Water Clim Change 12(5):2125–2135
Diakoulaki D, Mavrotas G, Papayannakis L (1995) Determining objective weights in multiple criteria problems: the critic method. Comput Oper Res 22:763–770
Gong L, ** C (2009) Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation for Carrying Capacity of Regional Water Resources. Water Resour Manage 23:2505–2513
He YH, Wang ZR (2022) Water-land resource carrying capacity in China: changing trends, main driving forces, and implications. J Clean Prod 331:13003
He L, Du Y, Wu S, Zhang Z (2021) Evaluation of the agricultural water resource carrying capacity and optimization of a planting-raising structure. Agric Water Manage 243:106456
Jaynes ET (1957) Information theory and statistical mechanics. Phys Rev 106:620–630
Li Y, Chen YY (2021) Variable precondition s-type cloud algorithm: theory and application on water resources carrying capacity assessment. Ecol Indic 121:107209
Li G, ** CL (2009) Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation for carrying capacity of regional water resources. Water Resour Manage 23(12):2505–2513
Li WK, Wang WL, Li L (2018) Optimization of water resources utilization by multi-objective moth-flame algorithm. Water Resour Manage 32(10):3303–3316
Liu KK, Li CH, Cai YP, Xu M, **a XH (2013) Comprehensive evaluation of water resources security in the yellow river basin based on a fuzzy multi-attribute decision analysis approach. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 11(1):1605–1623
Liu D, Liu CL, Fu Q, Li TX, Imran KM, Cui S, Abrar FM (2017) Elm evaluation model of regional groundwater quality based on the crow search algorithm. Ecol Indic 81(Oct):302–314
Liu B, Qin X, Zhang F (2022) System-dynamics-based scenario simulation and prediction of water carrying capacity for china. Sustain Cities Soc 82:103912
Lv AF, Han Y, Zhu WB, Zhang SF, Zhao WH (2021) Risk assessment of water resources carrying capacity in china. J Am Water Resour Assoc 57(4):539–551
Peng T, Deng HW (2020) Comprehensive evaluation on water resource carrying capacity based on DPESBR framework: a case study in Guiyang, southwest china. J Clean Prod 268:122235
Ren CF, Guo P, Li M, Li RH (2016) An innovative method for water resources carrying capacity research — metabolic theory of regional water resources. J Environ Manage 167:139–146
Song XM, Kong FZ, Zhan CS (2011) Assessment of water resources carrying capacity in Tian** city of china. Water Resour Manage 25(3):857–873
Tian HY, Lindenmayer DB, Wong GTW, Mao Z, Huang Y, Xue XZ (2017) A methodological framework for coastal development assessment: a case study of Fujian province. China Sci Total Environ 615:572
Wang CH, Hou YL, Xue YJ (2017) Water resources carrying capacity of wetlands in Bei**g: analysis of policy optimization for urban wetland water resources management. J Clean Prod 161(Sep 10):1180–1191
Wang XY, Liu L, Zhang SL, Gao C (2022) Dynamic simulation and comprehensive evaluation of the water resources carrying capacity in Guangzhou city. China Ecol Indic 135:108528
Wang Q, Li SQ, Li RR (2019) Evaluating water resource sustainability in Bei**g, China: combining psr model and matter-element extension method. J Clean Prod 206:171–179
Wu L, Su XL, Ma XY, Kang Y, Jiang Y (2018) integrated modeling framework for evaluating and predicting the water resources carrying capacity in a continental river basin of northwest china. J Clean Prod 204:336–379
Yang JF, Lei K, Khu S, Meng W (2015) Assessment of water resources carrying capacity for sustainable development based on a system dynamics model: a case study of Tieling city. China Water Res Manag 29(3):885–899
Yang ZY, Song JX, Cheng DD, **a J, Li Q, Ahamad MI (2019) Comprehensive evaluation and scenario simulation for the water resources carrying capacity in **’an city, china. J Environ Manage 230:221–233
Yang HY, Tan YN, Sun XB, Cheng XW, Liu GQ, Zhou GY (2021) Comprehensive evaluation of water resources carrying capacity and analysis of obstacle factors in Weifang City based on hierarchical cluster analysis-VIKOR method. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28(36):50388–50404
Yang X, Chen XW (2021) Using a combined evaluation method to assess water resources sustainable utilization in Fujian province, China. Environ Dev Sustain 23:8047–8061
Zhang SD, **ang MS, Yang JS, Fan WW, Yi YJ (2019) Distributed hierarchical evaluation and carrying capacity models for water resources based on optimal water cycle theory. Ecol Indic 101(JUN):432–443
Zhang LL, Li H, Liu D, Fu Q, Li M, Faiz MA, Khan MI, Li TX (2019) Identification and application of the most suitable entropy model for precipitation complexity measurement. Atmos Res 221(JUN):88–97
Zhao Y, Wang YY, Wang Y (2020) Comprehensive evaluation and influencing factors of urban agglomeration water resources carrying capacity. J Clean Prod 288(1–2):125097
Zuo QT, Guo JH, Ma JX, Cui GT, Yang RG, Yu L (2021) Assessment of regional-scale water resources carrying capacity based on fuzzy multiple attribute decision-making and scenario simulation. Ecol Indic 130:108034
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
** Yang carried out all the work.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The author declares no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Marcus Schulz
Publisher's note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Appendix
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Yang, X. Evaluation of spatial variation of water resources carrying capacity using optimal method: a case study of Fujian, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 1048–1059 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22284-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22284-6