Spatial Correlation Network of Water Use in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China

The increasingly severe water crisis is restricting sustainable development of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA), highlighting the importance of collaborative water resources management. Based on the dataset from 26 cities between 2001 and 2020 in the YRDUA, this study applies Social Network Analysis to research the spatial correlation of urban water utilization, which helps identify the interaction of water use behaviors among different cities. Results show that the close relationships among urban water consumption in the YRDUA have formed a network, and there is no isolated city in the water use correlation network. During the research period, the water network affinity and network density showed an overall upward trend, meaning the number of actual connections in the network was increasing. However, the network hierarchy first decreased and then raised, and the network efficiency first increased and then decreased, indicating the structural evolution of the water network was gradually detrimental to the effective dissemination of water use information. The urban water consumption correlation network also shows a core-peripheral structure. Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Hangzhou have higher coreness and centralities, dominating the water network and controlling major information spillover channels. Therefore, it is essential to focus on the overflow effects of urban water consumption and management among different regions, optimize the structure of the water consumption correlation network, exploit the core cities’ radiation effects, and realize collaborative management for regional water resources.