Natural ecological water demand in the lower Heihe River

Abstract

The ecological environment in the lower Heihe River has been deteriorating due to large water consumption in the upper and middle reaches, and less available water downstream. To restore the ecological environment in the lower Heihe River, the ecological water demand should be guaranteed. The natural vegetation area in the lower Heihe River was first obtained through the interpretation of remote sensing images taken in 1998. Based on the analysis for the Quota of the natural ecological water demand in the lower Heihe River and the determination of the natural ecological water demand calculation method, the ecological water demand in the lower Heihe River was calculated. Finally, the natural ecological water demand in the lower Heihe River under the current situation was calculated with the groundwater storage volume change method, Aweliyongrufe method and the measured water volume method. In comparison, the natural ecological water demand in the lower Heihe River is 3.91–4.05 × 10⁸ m³.

Keywords

natural ecological water demand, lower Heihe River, natural vegetation, remote sensing