Analysis of potentials of water resources development and utilization in arid zone of Northwest China
西北干旱区水资源开发利用潜力分析

Potentials of water resources development and utilization in arid zone of Northwest China were studied in this paper.On the basis of analysis of approaches to water conservation in agricultural,industrial and urban domestic uses in arid zone in Northwest China,the potential of water conservation in2020target year,and,according to the situation of industrial and domestic water uses,wastewater reuse in the future were quantitatively estimated.By considering available water resources as the potential and actual capacity of regulating water resources by hydraulic engineering works as constraint,the water quantity that could be supplied from surface water and groundwater was calculated and predicted.The result of quantitative analysis showed that,for the sake of maintaining the ecological system and protecting the environment of the arid zone in Northwest China on the whole,and improving partial areas,it would be necessary for the West Route South-to-North Water Transfer Project to divert water to the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River for the economic development and the ecological restoration in the Hexi Corridor by means of replacing the original water uses with water transferred in a long-term plan.