Author(s): Chunfeng Hao; Yangwen Jia; Yaqin Qiu
Linked Author(s): Yangwen Jia, Chunfeng Hao
Keywords: Climate change; Fuxian Lake basin; Water balance; WEP-L model
Abstract: The persistent decline in the water level of Fuxian Lake has significantly impacted the ecological environment within its basin and the production and livelihoods in surrounding areas. It is crucial to investigate the evolution of water balance of the Fuxian Lake basin and its dominant factors. The distributed hydrological model, Water and Energy Transfer Processes in Large River Basin (WEP-L), was applied to simulate the water cycle processes of the Fuxian Lake Basin from 1956 to 2023. The contributions of meteorological drought, the diversion of outflow from Xingyun Lake, water consumption, and external drainage to the reduction of Fuxian Lake’s water volume in 2023 were quantified based on the water balance equation. According to the simulation of the whole water balance, the contribution rate of reduced precipitation and increased lake evaporation caused by rising temperatures to the net water balance decline of Fuxian Lake was 65.7%, the contribution rate of the Xingyun Lake diversion project was 19.6%, and the contribution rate of water consumption and external drainage was 14.7%. The study highlights the dominant role of climate change and provides the scientific basis for integrated water resource management strategies to ensure the ecological goal of Fuxian Lake basin.
Year: 2026