Analysis of water resource carrying capacity and obstacle diagnosis in Ordos City

In recent years, while the economy and society of Ordos City have been experiencing rapid development, the regional contradiction between water resources supply and demand has become increasingly prominent. This study constructed a comprehensive evaluation system for the water resources carrying capacity of Ordos City based on 22 evaluation indicators spanning three dimensions: water resources, economic society, and ecological environment. Employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy-Weighted TOPSIS model, an evaluation of the water resources carrying capacity of Ordos City from 2010 to 2021 was conducted, and the obstacle degree model was applied to diagnose the main obstacle factors and their obstacle degrees in the evaluation results. The results indicate that over the past decade, the water resources carrying capacity of Ordos City has shown a year-on-year increasing trend, with Etuoke Banner and Dalad Banner exhibiting the fastest growth rates, averaging 2.5% annually. The water resources carrying capacity of the nine banners is mostly at a critical level, exhibiting significant spatiotemporal variations, with Zhungeer Banner having the highest and Hangjin Banner having the lowest water resources carrying capacity. The primary obstacle factors are identified as the water supply modulus, water resources development and utilization rate, and ecological environment water consumption rate. The findings of this study can provide support for the efficient utilization of regional water resources and the adjustment of population-industry structure.