Problems and improve measures for the ecosystem health of the Wei River in Shaanxi province

The Wei River, as the largest tributary of the Yellow River, is the "Mother River" of Guangzhong region in Shaanxi province. Its ecosystem health directly influences the sustainable development of local society and economy. At present, the Wei River is facing some serious problems, such as water resource shortage, water quality being polluted seriously, flood disaster caused by channel siltation. These problems have caused ecosystem health severely damaged. Aiming at the main ecological and environmental problems existing in the Wei River, the ecological and environmental water requirements are estimated. And comparing water requirement with incoming water, the ecological and environmental water shortage are estimated as well. The results show that the ecological and environmental water shortage of the Wei River is more severe and its ecosystem health has been damaged severely. In order to improve the ecosystem health of the Wei River, the ecological and environmental water use should be regarded as one of the main water uses and should be put into the same position as the agricultural, industrial and domestic water uses. Moreover, according to the main factors that influence the ecosystem health of the Wei River, some measures including establishing water-saving society, reducing the channel siltation, water resources development,and water pollution control, rainfall utilization, management and policy, and water transfer from outside the basin is proposed to be put into practice.