Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China
Sustainability evaluation of the process of water abstraction, distribution, and use for irrigation can contribute to the policy of decision making in irrigation development. Emergy theory and method are used to evaluate a pumping irrigation district in China. A corresponding framework for its emerg...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2013-01-01
|
| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/438317 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832568129820033024 |
|---|---|
| author | Dan Chen Zhao-Hui Luo Jing Chen Jun Kong Dong-Li She |
| author_facet | Dan Chen Zhao-Hui Luo Jing Chen Jun Kong Dong-Li She |
| author_sort | Dan Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sustainability evaluation of the process of water abstraction, distribution, and use for irrigation can contribute to the policy of decision making in irrigation development. Emergy theory and method are used to evaluate a pumping irrigation district in China. A corresponding framework for its emergy evaluation is proposed. Its emergy evaluation shows that water is the major component of inputs into the irrigation water production and utilization systems (24.7% and 47.9% of the total inputs, resp.) and that the transformities of irrigation water and rice as the systems’ products (1.72E+05 sej/J and 1.42E+05 sej/J, resp.; sej/J = solar emjoules per joule) represent their different emergy efficiencies. The irrigated agriculture production subsystem has a higher sustainability than the irrigation water production subsystem and the integrated production system, according to several emergy indices: renewability ratio (%R), emergy yield ratio (EYR), emergy investment ratio (EIR), environmental load ratio (ELR), and environmental sustainability index (ESI). The results show that the performance of this irrigation district could be further improved by increasing the utilization efficiencies of the main inputs in both the production and utilization process of irrigation water. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1e981213294645ce952d242d4e58d1a5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-1e981213294645ce952d242d4e58d1a52025-02-03T00:59:40ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2013-01-01201310.1155/2013/438317438317Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in ChinaDan Chen0Zhao-Hui Luo1Jing Chen2Jun Kong3Dong-Li She4Key Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China of Ministry of Education, College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaKey Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China of Ministry of Education, College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaCollege of Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaKey Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China of Ministry of Education, College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaSustainability evaluation of the process of water abstraction, distribution, and use for irrigation can contribute to the policy of decision making in irrigation development. Emergy theory and method are used to evaluate a pumping irrigation district in China. A corresponding framework for its emergy evaluation is proposed. Its emergy evaluation shows that water is the major component of inputs into the irrigation water production and utilization systems (24.7% and 47.9% of the total inputs, resp.) and that the transformities of irrigation water and rice as the systems’ products (1.72E+05 sej/J and 1.42E+05 sej/J, resp.; sej/J = solar emjoules per joule) represent their different emergy efficiencies. The irrigated agriculture production subsystem has a higher sustainability than the irrigation water production subsystem and the integrated production system, according to several emergy indices: renewability ratio (%R), emergy yield ratio (EYR), emergy investment ratio (EIR), environmental load ratio (ELR), and environmental sustainability index (ESI). The results show that the performance of this irrigation district could be further improved by increasing the utilization efficiencies of the main inputs in both the production and utilization process of irrigation water.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/438317 |
| spellingShingle | Dan Chen Zhao-Hui Luo Jing Chen Jun Kong Dong-Li She Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China |
| title_full | Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China |
| title_fullStr | Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China |
| title_short | Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China |
| title_sort | emergy evaluation of a production and utilization process of irrigation water in china |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/438317 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danchen emergyevaluationofaproductionandutilizationprocessofirrigationwaterinchina AT zhaohuiluo emergyevaluationofaproductionandutilizationprocessofirrigationwaterinchina AT jingchen emergyevaluationofaproductionandutilizationprocessofirrigationwaterinchina AT junkong emergyevaluationofaproductionandutilizationprocessofirrigationwaterinchina AT donglishe emergyevaluationofaproductionandutilizationprocessofirrigationwaterinchina |