Agricultural water use and water-resource regulation in the Ningxia plain - Research progress and perspectives

The Ningxia Plain is an important agricultural region in northwestern China, but with dual challenges of water scarcity and a fragile ecological environment． In this paper we systematically review response characteristics of the water cycle and their environmental effects under intensive human disturbance． The work focuses on four key aspects: agricultural water-use patterns and planting-structure regulation under water-resource constraints, impacts of agricultural water regulation on regional water-resource utilization, changes in water-resource use and their eco-environmental effects, conjunctive surface-water and groundwater optimization for food and water security． Existing studies indicate that the plain urgently needs reasonable adjustments in cropping structure and optimized water-allocation measures to alleviate water shortages and meet ecological water-demand under the combined stresses of climate change and human activity． Systematic research and integrated planning should be strengthened to promote collaborative innovation and comprehensive actions, with greater emphasis on ecological protection, thereby providing stronger support for regional food and water security．