干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Suitable human settlement environment in arid and semi-arid area refers to an efficient ecological landscape that has sufficient water supply and abundant vegetation cover with favorable climatic condition. In this study, environmental suitability of human settlement in the Kaidu River Basin in Northwest China is evaluated by using remote sensing images, socio-economic and meteorological data. The suitability index for human settlement environment is adopted to quantify the spatial heterogeneity of environmental suitability in this region. Results showed that the suitability index for human settlement environment in the Kaidu River Basin ranges between 6.74 and 77.9. High suitable area is mainly distributed in lower and middle part of the Basin where the region bordering Bohu, Yanqi, Heshuo and Hejing County, which makes up about 0.3 % of the whole research area, with 220/km(2) population density. Middle suitable area is mostly distributed next to the high suitable area, which accounts for 3.7 % of the whole study area, with 33/km(2) population density. Low suitable area includes middle part of Hejing County, upper part of Heshuo County and northwest part of Yanqi County, which accounts for 24 % of the whole study area, with 1.5/km(2) population density. Unsuitable area is distributed southeast of Heshuo and Bohu County and central part of Hejing County, which covers 59.8 % of the whole study area, with 0.1/km(2) population density. The most unsuitable area is mainly distributed in southwest and northern part of Hejing County, which accounts for 12.2 % of the whole study area, with 0/km(2) population density, which is largely uninhabited. The results of this study can be used by decision makers to select suitable areas for human settlement and regional development in order to achieve longterm sustainability of Kaidu River Basin, Northwest China.