A Study on the Efficiency of Regional Water Resource Utilization in China: Based on the Three-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)-Malmquist Method

Zhijian Guo; Yikai Hu

doi:10.54097/7q1dft36

Authors

Zhijian Guo
Yikai Hu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/7q1dft36

Keywords:

Water resource utilization efficiency, three-stage DEA, Malmquist index, environmental factors, regional disparities

Abstract

To objectively evaluate the efficiency of water resource utilization in 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) of China from 2015 to 2024 and effectively eliminate the effects of environmental factors and random disturbances, this study employs a three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model and the Malmquist index method to construct an evaluation system for water resource utilization efficiency from an input-output perspective. The results show that: (1) environmental factors and random disturbances exert significant effects on the measured efficiency of water resource utilization, and the traditional DEA model overestimates efficiency in the eastern region while underestimating it in the central and western regions; (2) from 2015 to 2024, the overall efficiency of water resource utilization in China exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with marked regional disparities, the highest efficiency in the eastern region, and relatively lower efficiency in the central and western regions; (3) technological progress is the core driver of efficiency improvement, whereas managerial inefficiency is the key factor constraining efficiency gains in some provinces; and (4) per capita water resources and industrial structure exert heterogeneous effects on water resource utilization efficiency. Accordingly, it is essential to further upgrade the structure of the industry, strengthen interregional diffusion and coordinated application of technologies, and implement differentiated water resource management policies to promote efficient water use and sustainable development.

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