Water

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26 pages, 798 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Economic Impact of Water Vulnerability on Corporate Sustainability: A Perspective of Corporate Capital Cost

by Liyuan Zheng, Pengqun Gao and Mengjiao Wang

Water 2024, 16(18), 2560; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16182560 - 10 Sep 2024

Viewed by 982

Abstract

Studies have argued that water risk affects corporate sustainability, but few of them have fully explored whether or not and how water resources have a direct impact on corporate finance and strategy. This study takes the listed companies in the Chinese A-share market [...] Read more.

Studies have argued that water risk affects corporate sustainability, but few of them have fully explored whether or not and how water resources have a direct impact on corporate finance and strategy. This study takes the listed companies in the Chinese A-share market from 2019 to 2023 as a sample to understand the threat of water vulnerability to corporate sustainability from the perspective of capital cost. This study argues that water vulnerability positively relates to corporate capital cost by increasing corporate financing constraints. Meanwhile, this study also examines the role of water regulation and water investment in the relationship between water vulnerability and corporate capital cost. Water regulation brings legitimate pressure to corporations and increases the transformation risks faced by them, so it has a positive moderating effect. Water investment can alleviate the vulnerability of local water resources and reduce the physical water risk faced by corporations, so it has a negative moderating effect. The study finds that the two measures mainly play a significant moderating effect on the cost of debt. In addition, the study finds that the positive relationship between water vulnerability and capital cost has industrial and firm-level heterogeneity, while the moderating effect of government water governance has only industrial heterogeneity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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18 pages, 1164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing Collaborative Management Strategies for Flood Control and Drainage across Administrative Regions Using Game Theory

by Shouwei Shang, Leizhi Wang, Weijian Guo, Leilei Zhang, Yintang Wang, Xin Su, Lingjie Li and Yuan Chen

Water 2024, 16(17), 2510; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172510 - 4 Sep 2024

Viewed by 811

Abstract

There exist conflicts of interest between upstream and downstream regions in flood control and drainage; how to balance these conflicts and achieve collaborative flood management remains an important scientific problem. To explore a balanced governance strategy, this study took the Demonstration Zone of [...] Read more.

There exist conflicts of interest between upstream and downstream regions in flood control and drainage; how to balance these conflicts and achieve collaborative flood management remains an important scientific problem. To explore a balanced governance strategy, this study took the Demonstration Zone of Green and Integrated Ecological Development of the Yangtze River Delta, which consists of three separate administrative regions, as the research domain. Using evolutionary game theory, the study conducts a comparative analysis of the interests between upstream and downstream areas. It introduces external drivers, such as the intervention of higher-level administrative bodies and incentive-constraining policies, along with internal balancing mechanisms like bidirectional compensation. The goal is to explore collaborative strategies and cooperation mechanisms that can balance the conflicts of interest between upstream and downstream areas. Results indicate that: (1) The final collaborative strategy was closely related to factors such as the cost of conflict, the amount of two-way compensation, additional benefits of flood control and drainage, and the intensity of incentive constraints. (2) Incorporating a reasonable two-way compensation and reward and punishment mechanism into the evolutionary game theory model can promote the model to a stable strategy. (3) The external driving mechanisms aim to coordinate the conflicts between upstream and downstream regions through incentive or constraint policies, which help motivate and encourage proactive collaboration in flood control and drainage management. The internal balancing mechanism is responsible for compensating for economic losses caused by imbalances, thereby creating pressure that fosters regional cooperation in flood control and drainage governance. In a word, the collaborated management mechanism helps provide a more balanced strategy across different administrative regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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18 pages, 3189 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decoupling Agricultural Grey Water Footprint from Economic Growth in the Yellow River Basin

by Xiaoyan Zhang, Yunan Xiao, Thomas Stephen Ramsey, Songpu Li and Qingling Peng

Water 2024, 16(8), 1129; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16081129 - 16 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1129

Abstract

Decoupling agricultural economic growth from agricultural water pollution is of great importance to regional sustainable development. It is necessary to further explore the decoupling state and key driving factors connecting agricultural water pollution and agricultural economic growth on the basis of accurate measurement [...] Read more.

Decoupling agricultural economic growth from agricultural water pollution is of great importance to regional sustainable development. It is necessary to further explore the decoupling state and key driving factors connecting agricultural water pollution and agricultural economic growth on the basis of accurate measurement of agricultural water pollution. Accordingly, taking the Yellow River Basin (YRB) as the research object, this study combined the water footprint theory, the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model and the Tapio decoupling model (TDM) to conduct an in-depth decoupling analysis of the connection between the agricultural grey water footprint (AGWF) and agricultural economic growth in the YRB. Specifically, this study first calculated the AGWF of the YRB during 2016–2021 and objectively evaluated the water resource utilization in this region based on the AGWF. Then, the LMDI model was used to explore the driving factors of the AGWF in the YRB. Finally, the decoupling states between the AGWF and its driving factors with agricultural GDP (AGDP) were studied using the TDM. The main results are as follows: (1) The overall AGWF in the YRB showed a decreasing trend and a slow increase, decreasing by 5.39% in 2021 compared to 2016. (2) The primary promoting factor and inhibiting factor of AGWF reduction are the efficiency effect and agricultural economic effect, respectively. (3) The decoupling states of the AGWF and AGDP presented strong decoupling (SD) and then weak decoupling (WD) in the YRB during the research period. The decoupling states between the agricultural grey water footprint intensity (AGWFI) and AGDP changed from expansive negative decoupling (END) to SD. The decoupling state of population and AGDP remained SD. This study will contribute to alleviating agricultural water pollution in the YRB and help policymakers in water-stressed countries to formulate agricultural water management policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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20 pages, 740 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does the Water Resource Tax Reform Bring Positive Effects to Green Innovation and Productivity in High Water-Consuming Enterprises?

by Chaohui Xu, Yingchao Gao, Wenwen Hua and Bei Feng

Water 2024, 16(5), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16050725 - 28 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1403

Abstract

Water resources are a fundamental natural and strategic economic resource and are closely related to high-quality economic and societal development. This paper uses the pilot implementation of the water resource tax reform to explore the impact of that reform on the green innovation [...] Read more.

Water resources are a fundamental natural and strategic economic resource and are closely related to high-quality economic and societal development. This paper uses the pilot implementation of the water resource tax reform to explore the impact of that reform on the green innovation and total factor productivity of enterprises. The study sample includes data for high water-consuming A-share listed enterprises in Shenzhen and Shanghai, China, from 2007 to 2021; the double-difference method was used for the analysis. Study findings indicate that replacing water resource fees with taxes significantly improves the green innovation level and total factor productivity of enterprises. Green innovation has a significant partial mediating effect between the water resource tax reform and total factor productivity. The water resource tax reform promotes green innovation in enterprises, enhancing total factor productivity. When considering different types of enterprise property rights, the economic effect of the water resource tax reform is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, compared to state-owned enterprises. This paper provides empirical evidence for expanding the pilot scope of the water resource tax reform. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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19 pages, 3468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Multi-Scenario Water Resource Allocation in Reservoirs Considering Trade-Offs between Water Demand and Ecosystem Services

by Bianshiyu Tao, Qiao Sun, Jigan Wang, Jie Zhang and Zhencheng Xing

Water 2024, 16(4), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16040563 - 13 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1761

Abstract

Reservoir engineering plays a critical role in achieving rational water resource allocation, providing ecological services, and promoting regional development. However, in the formulation of water allocation plans, there is often a tendency to prioritize meeting regional water demand while overlooking ecological benefits. This [...] Read more.

Reservoir engineering plays a critical role in achieving rational water resource allocation, providing ecological services, and promoting regional development. However, in the formulation of water allocation plans, there is often a tendency to prioritize meeting regional water demand while overlooking ecological benefits. This study develops a multi-objective water allocation model based on evaluating ecosystem services value supply and demand, integrating indicators such as ecosystem service fulfillment ability, water resources fulfillment ability, and equilibrium operation degree. Different development scenarios are also established using a forecasting model to formulate water allocation plans and apply a case study of the Datun Reservoir, a key hub on the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China. This study demonstrates that (1) by optimizing the allocation of domestic and industrial water supply and reservoir storage, the overall ecosystem service value of the Datun Reservoir can be enhanced by 5.15% to 11.36% and (2) in scenarios of high economic growth, there is potential to achieve coordination between water supply and ecosystem service value. (3) However, lower-than-expected economic growth may lead to a trade-off between ecosystem services and water supply capacity in the reservoir, which could be maintained at a lower level. The methods proposed in this paper are of significant practical importance for guiding rational reservoir water allocation and achieving coordination between ecological services and water supply capacity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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14 pages, 881 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Study of the Driving Factors of Water Resources Use Efficiency in China’s Agricultural and Industrial Sectors

by Jianghong Li, Zhengwei Huang, Lingfang Zhou, Yongyu Dai and Yang Yang

Water 2024, 16(3), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16030387 - 24 Jan 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1377

Abstract

The efficient use of water resources has become an important topic in China. Research on measurement and driving factors is the foundation for improving water resources use efficiency (WRUE). In this paper, the super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SE-SBM) model is used to measure the [...] Read more.

The efficient use of water resources has become an important topic in China. Research on measurement and driving factors is the foundation for improving water resources use efficiency (WRUE). In this paper, the super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SE-SBM) model is used to measure the WRUE of China from 2005 to 2021. The agricultural carbon emissions and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in industrial wastes are taken as undesirable by-products. The driving factors of WRUE are discussed with use of the Tobit regression model. The results show that China’s agricultural WRUE ranges from 1.185 in Jilin to 0.687 in Ningxia. In the industrial sector, the WRUE ranges from 1.399 in Beijing to Jiangxi 0.212. The economic structure and development level, water resources endowment, government influence and environmental regulation, agricultural planting scale and urbanization rate have impacts on WRUE. Precautionary measures need to be applied to prevent inefficient WRUE caused by the declining share of the industrial sector in the economic structure. More financial support should be focused on water-saving irrigation in agriculture and energy and resource efficiency in industry. The organizational structure and technological advantages of urbanization should also be emphasized in efforts to improve water efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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20 pages, 1621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strategic Analyses for a Cross-Basin Water Pollution Conflict Involving Heterogeneous Sanctions in Hongze Lake, China, within the GMCR Paradigm

by Lirui Xue, Shinan Zhao, Jun Wu, Bismark Appiah Addae, Daao Wang and Sharafat Ali

Water 2023, 15(18), 3269; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15183269 - 15 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1604

Abstract

The graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) methodology was enhanced in this research for addressing cross-basin water pollution conflicts involving heterogeneous sanctions, as a more intuitive and straightforward definition for mixed unilateral improvements was proposed, followed by an integrated procedure for performing mixed [...] Read more.

The graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) methodology was enhanced in this research for addressing cross-basin water pollution conflicts involving heterogeneous sanctions, as a more intuitive and straightforward definition for mixed unilateral improvements was proposed, followed by an integrated procedure for performing mixed stability analyses. Furthermore, the cross-border water pollution dispute that occurred in 2018 in Hongze Lake, China, is systematically modeled and strategically analyzed for the first time, using the improved GMCR method. In addition, an evolution analysis was carried out within the framework of GMCR for verifying the applicability of the eco-compensation mechanism in addressing cross-basin water pollution disputes. This case study demonstrates that the heterogeneity of sanctioning opponents could influence equilibrium outcomes and even change the evolution of conflict situations. Moreover, the developed novel approach is able to accurately predict the equilibrium outcomes of the conflict and provide more strategic insights and valuable findings in making effective conflict resolutions for solving cross-basin water pollution conflicts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 4116 KiB

Open AccessReview

Innovations in Solar-Powered Desalination: A Comprehensive Review of Sustainable Solutions for Water Scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region

by Mohammad Al-Addous, Mathhar Bdour, Shatha Rabaiah, Ali Boubakri, Norman Schweimanns, Nesrine Barbana and Johannes Wellmann

Water 2024, 16(13), 1877; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16131877 - 30 Jun 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4711

Abstract

Water scarcity poses significant challenges in arid regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) due to constant population growth, considering the effects of climate change and water management aspects. The desalination technologies face problems like high energy consumption, high investment costs, [...] Read more.

Water scarcity poses significant challenges in arid regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) due to constant population growth, considering the effects of climate change and water management aspects. The desalination technologies face problems like high energy consumption, high investment costs, and significant environmental impacts by brine discharge. This paper researches the relationships among water scarcity, energy-intensive desalination, and the development of renewable energy in MENA, with a particular focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. It examines innovations in solar-powered desalination, considering both solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technologies, in combination with traditional thermal desalination methods such as multi-effect distillation (MED) and multi-stage flash (MSF). The environmental impacts associated with desalination by brine discharge are also discussed, analyzing innovative technological solutions and avoidance strategies. Utilizing bibliometrics, this report provides a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature for the assessment of the research landscape in order to recognize trends in desalination technologies in the MENA region, providing valuable insights into emerging technologies and research priorities. Despite challenges such as high initial investment costs, technical complexities, and limited funding for research and development, the convergence of water scarcity and renewable energy presents significant opportunities for integrated desalination systems in GCC countries. Summarizing, this paper emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and international collaboration by addressing the complex challenges of water scarcity and energy sustainability in the MENA region. By leveraging renewable energy sources and advancing desalination technologies, the region can achieve water security while mitigating environmental impacts and promoting economic development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Sustainability and High-Quality Economic Development)

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