A nexus approach for sustainable development in Ningxia, China

This discussion brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes the application of a water-energy-food nexus framework in Ningxia, China. It examines the interdependencies and potential conflicts between the province's development targets and its natural resource constraints, specifically regarding water scarcity, land-use changes, and a heavy reliance on coal for energy production.

• Ningxia faces severe water scarcity with a per-capita water availability of 659 m3 per year, significantly lower than China's average of 2,100 m3 and the global average of 7,500 m3. Despite this, the province has high demand: approximately 1.5 million rural residents lack safe water, and irrigated agricultural areas were projected to grow by nearly 250,000 ha between 2010 and 2015.
• The province's water supply is heavily dependent on the Yellow River, providing 91% of its water (6.7 billion m3). Because the river's resources are fully committed, any increase in Ningxia's withdrawals—which are permitted to reach 7.3 billion m3 in 2015 and 8.8 billion m3 in 2030 under 'Red Lines'—would negatively impact downstream provinces and river sections.
• Land use in Ningxia has undergone rapid shifts; forest cover increased from 4.2% in 1995 to 12.8% in 2012 due to the 'Grain for Green' program. Conversely, grassland area decreased by approximately 8% (from 2.44 million to 2.25 million ha) between 2000 and 2012, while urban, industrial, mining, and transportation areas grew by 2.3% annually during the same period.
• Energy production in Ningxia is dominated by coal, which was expected to account for 95% of primary energy production in 2015. This reliance creates conflicts with water management, as seen in the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Base, where coal production is projected to increase water demand by at least 0.4 billion m3 by 2015.
• Initial analysis suggests trade-offs between Ningxia's water, land, and energy targets. To mitigate these, the government set targets for 2010-2015 to increase water use efficiency by 27% and energy efficiency by 15%. The document notes that Ningxia acts as a net exporter of 'virtual water and land' to other Chinese regions, meaning other areas benefit from unsustainable resource use within the province.

APA

Hoff, H., Chen, H., & Han, G. (2014). A nexus approach for sustainable development in Ningxia, China. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Ningxia-nexus.pdf

Chicago

Hoff, Holger, Huiyi Chen, and Guoyi Han. A nexus approach for sustainable development in Ningxia, China. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Ningxia-nexus.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hoff |first1=Holger |last2=Chen |first2=Huiyi |last3=Han |first3=Guoyi |title=A nexus approach for sustainable development in Ningxia, China |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Ningxia-nexus.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hoff2014nexus, author = {Hoff, Holger and Chen, Huiyi and Han, Guoyi}, title = {{A nexus approach for sustainable development in Ningxia, China}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Ningxia-nexus.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }