Author(s): Lichuan Wang; Fan He; Guohua He
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Water networks; Network modeling; Complex networks
Abstract: As one of the basic networks of our modern society, national water network is an important measure of water security. At present, the formation, evolution and characteristics of the national water network are still unclear, which restricts the cognition and exploration of the national water network to a large extent. Based on complex network theory, this paper proposes and constructs a national water network model with "natural and artificial" dual characteristics from the perspective of network. Through the network model, the statistical characteristics of the national water network are analyzed, the structure and flow degree distribution are quantified, and important nodes are identified. Finally, based on the natural water network, the hydraulic linkage area of the national water network is divided by InfoMap method. The results show that the kurtosis of the structural degree distribution of the national water network gradually decreases, the nodes with large degrees increase, and the connectivity of the water network structure increases. In the distribution of discharge degree, the nodes with small discharge increase, and the nodes with large discharge decrease, and the balance of water resources shows an increasing trend. The important nodes of the national water network are mainly concentrated in the Yellow River, Huai River, Hai River and Yangtze River basins. By the fourth stage, the four major basins of "pivot node", "key node" and "important node" account for 100%, 95.1% and 74.3% respectively. The hydraulic connection area of the national water network breaks the boundary of natural basins, interconnects multiple basins, and forms a new physical pattern of the national water network of "one main, two parts, and two regions".
Year: 2026