Evaluating water ecological achievements of leading cadres in Anhui, China: Based on water resources balance sheet and pressure-state-response model

Water scarcity has become a common problem worldwide. To realize the sustainable development of water resources, exploring the compilation of the water resources balance sheet and implementing outgoing audits of water resource assets for leading cadres is of great significance. To evaluate regional water security, this study took the water resources balance sheet as the data carrier of outgoing audits and organically combined the results with the evaluation of leading cadres' water ecological achievements. The water ecological achievements of the three provincial governors in Anhui province from 2013 to 2017, including those who have left office (leading cadres A and B) and who is currently in office (leading cadre C), were evaluated. The results indicate the following. (1) Both A and B's water ecological achievements were good, and the water security level changed from relatively unsafe to proximity safe during A's tenure, while it improved from proximity safety to relatively safe during B's tenure. (2) The water security level in 2017 was stable at relatively safe, and the current leading cadre C's water ecological achievement was good, but the performance in improving the state of water resources still needs to be strengthened. The results of this research have some implications for water resource management in other regions, especially countries where the governance system is similar to that of China. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.