Environmental evaluation of irrigation districts in an inland river basin

The Delphi approach was adopted to gain widely-participatory opinions on an index system and corresponding weighting within an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach to evaluating an irrigation districts environment. The very harsh eco-environment makes water resources the major constraint on oasis production. Due to shortage and improper exploitation of water resources, increasing desertification, declining desert vegetation and worsening of the eco-environment have occurred in Hongyashan Irrigation District of Mingqing County, Gansu Province. The district has become typical of the water resources crisis in and inland river basins of Northwest China. So a multi level evaluation model "AGT" was proposed. Comprehensive natural-ecological and social-econontic data were collected for the irrigation district. The model was applied to conducting an environmental evaluation of the district and satisfactory results were attained.