Research on the agricultural water ecological footprint and sustainable utilization in Chongqing municipality based on the three-dimensional ecological footprint model

Abstract This research presented the development of a three-dimensional footprint model for agricultural water ( EF 3Dw ) and calculated the ecological footprint of agricultural water ( EF w ) in Chongqing from 2015 to 2021. It integrated the ecological carrying capacity of agricultural water ( EC w ) and the three-dimensional ecological footprint of agricultural water per 10,000 GDP into a comprehensive evaluation system aimed at assessing sustainable utilization. By combining the sustainable utilization index with the ecological tension index, a thorough evaluation of Chongqing’s agricultural water sustainable utilization was conducted. The findings indicated that: The EF 3Dw in Chongqing exhibited an increasing trend, while EC w declined, though EC w remained consistently higher than EF 3Dw , resulting in an overall ecological surplus ( ED w ). The highest ED w was observed in the new area, while the Southeast Area demonstrated the lowest EC w . Among the components of the sustainable utilization index, the resources condition system index significantly influenced the results, showing an upward trend. In contrast, the socio-economic system index declined gradually, and the ecological environment system index showed a more marked decrease, yet the composite evaluation index indicated a generally stable increase. These results suggested a steady improvement in the sustainable utilization of agricultural water in Chongqing. The sustainable utilization index revealed an inverted “U”-shaped development trend, stabilizing between 0.9 and 1.0, signifying that agricultural water was utilized sustainably. Conversely, the ecological tension index followed a positive “U”-shaped trend with values below 0.5, indicating that agricultural water remained in a “very safe” range. Overall, agricultural water use in Chongqing exhibited a robust and steadily improving trend toward sustainability. However, regional disparities and developmental imbalances persisted as challenges that require ongoing attention. The conclusions drawn from this research may provide a scientific foundation for managing agricultural water resources in Chongqing and other similar regions.