Integrated Diagnosis of Water Environment Security and Restoration Priorities in the Dongting Lake Basin, 2000–2020

Ziwei Luo, Danchen Yang, Jianqiang Luo, Xijun Hu (), Zushan Yang, Ling Qiu, Cunyou Chen and Baojing Wei
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Ziwei Luo: College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Danchen Yang: College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Jianqiang Luo: Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Conservation and Restoration in Dongting Lake Basin, Ministry of Natural Resources, Changsha 410007, China
Xijun Hu: College of Landscape Architecture, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Zushan Yang: College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Ling Qiu: College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Cunyou Chen: College of Landscape Architecture, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Baojing Wei: Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Conservation and Restoration in Dongting Lake Basin, Ministry of Natural Resources, Changsha 410007, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-21

Abstract: With the rapid advancement of industrialization and urbanization, the systematic assessment of water environment security in lake-type basins and the identification of key restoration zones have become critical scientific challenges for sustainable watershed management. This study focused on the Dongting Lake Basin, where a comprehensive evaluation system comprising 24 indicators was developed based on the Driving forces–Pressure–State–Impact–Response model. Indicator weights were determined using the entropy method. An obstacle degree model was applied to quantitatively identify the primary factors constraining water environment security. Additionally, spatial autocorrelation analysis was introduced to examine spatial dependency characteristics, enabling the delineation of priority restoration areas. The results demonstrated the following: (1) During 2000–2020, the Dongting Lake Basin exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity, with higher water environment security risks in the southeastern region, while the central-eastern region showed a continuous improvement trend. (2) Quantitative analysis identified the core obstacle factors affecting regional water environment security: wastewater treatment capacity (obstacle degree: 16.87%), ecological water use proportion (12.71%), effective irrigation area ratio (9.29%), environmental protection investment as a percentage of GDP (8.54%), and wastewater treatment rate (7.10%). (3) Based on these key constraints, targeted governance strategies are proposed, including enhancing wastewater treatment capacity, optimizing ecological water allocation, and increasing environmental protection investment. This study established an integrated “diagnosis–restoration–regulation” analytical framework for assessing water environment security and identifying priority restoration zones in lake-type basins, providing both theoretical foundations and practical references for global lake-type basin management.

Keywords: water environment security; DPSIR model; obstacle factor; spatial analysis; Dongting Lake Basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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