River–human harmony model to evaluate the relationship between humans and water in river basin

With the rapid population growth, ecological pressure caused by human activities on rivers is growing. Decision makers are often faced with the dilemma of how to maintain economic growth while also maintaining the resources of a river and its environment. In this study, a model has been proposed for the assessment of river–human relationship. The method establishes a complete index system to quantify the abstraction of river–human relationship and evaluation. The model provides a comprehensive assessment of river basin human–water relationship through 21 indicators and three dimensions, which include river health, human development and human–river coordination. The analytic hierarchy process is used to determine the index weights. This model is applied in Wei River Basin, northwestern China, where the present situation is evaluated along with finding the advantages and shortcomings. Thus the study provides a method for future development and water management.