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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 83-94.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00191

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Threshold of suitable irrigation scale in Zhangye Basin based on oasis stability evaluation

Wanghan He1,2(), Linshan Yang1(), Xingyi Zou1,2, Jingru Wang1,2, Tiaoxue Lu1,2, Honghua Xia1,2   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands,Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    2.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China
  • Received:2025-05-21 Revised:2025-07-08 Online:2026-01-20 Published:2026-03-09
  • Contact: Linshan Yang

Abstract:

As a typical irrigated oasis in the arid regions, the stability and suitable irrigation scale of Zhangye Basin are critical to regional ecological security. Based on multi-source underlying surface data, hydrometeorological records, and socioeconomic statistics from 2000 to 2020, this study quantitatively evaluated oasis stability and optimized irrigation scale using a modified water-heat balance model and multi-scenario analysis. The results indicate: (1) During the study period, the oasis area expanded by 452.8 km² during the study period, primarily due to the conversion of unused land to cropland and construction land. (2) The modified oasis stability evaluation model considers the actual evapotranspiration consumption of vegetation more than the traditional model, and the evaluation results are more in line with reality. The overall stability of the Zhangye oasis generally exhibited sub-stable to stable (0.736), the current irrigation scale significantly exceeded the suitable irrigation scale of the oasis. Although the overloaded area has continuously decreased, the water stress remains prominent. (3) The multi-scenario setting indicates that social and economic demands will occupy agricultural water use, while ecological conservation imposes stricter water requirements. Balancing water-saving efficiency and development intensity can optimize the oasis stability of the oasis while maintaining irrigation capacity. This study demonstrates that "determining land use based on water availability" provides scientific support for efficient water allocation in arid oasis regions, with significant implications for promoting economic development, social stability, and eco-environmental sustainability.

Key words: oasis stability, water-heat balance, suitable irrigation scale, water-saving irrigation

CLC Number: