Compilation of Water Resource Balance Sheets under Unified Accounting of Water Quantity and Quality, a Case Study of Hubei Province

This article discusses the issues caused by traditional water resource development and utilization, as well as policy issues in China that have led to a water crisis. The article proposes a theoretical approach along with a quantitative accounting of water resources, in order to solve these problems. To improve the value accounting method for water resources, the study focuses on a unified accounting perspective of water quantity and quality, allowing for an evaluation of water use efficiency and quality. The study uses prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province as a case study and finds that the water use efficiency of these cities has constantly improved, while water quality has shown an annual improvement. Water resource assets, liabilities, and net assets have increased, but with fluctuations. The study shows differences in water resource assets, liabilities, and net assets in the eastern, central, and western regions of Hubei Province. The unified accounting perspective of water quantity and quality provides a new idea and method for the preparation of water resource balance sheets and will effectively improve the management level and efficiency of water resources.

Automated summary

This article discusses the problems caused by traditional water resource development and utilization, as well as the policy issues in China that have led to a water crisis. The article proposes a theoretical approach and a quantitative accounting method for water resources to solve these problems. The study focuses on a unified accounting perspective of water quantity and quality to evaluate water use efficiency and quality. The results show improvements in water use efficiency and quality in prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province. The study also identifies differences in water resource assets, liabilities, and net assets among different regions in the province. The unified accounting perspective provides a new idea and method for water resource balance sheet preparation, which will effectively improve the management level and efficiency of water resources.