关键词: 黄河, 健康, 河流生命, 需水量

Abstract: All the rivers have anti-disturbing and self-restoring capacities with varying water flows.But if the flow is lower than a limit,the river system would be destroyed and the river's function would be lost.This flow should be called the life flow of the river.Then,how to understand,estimate and assure the life flow are still a very important issue.Due to the inadequate human intervention to the Yellow River water resources and sediments,the problems then caused such as river channel shrinkage,water quality degradation,wetland deterioration,etc,considerably affected the health of the lower Yellow River.This paper indicates that in order to restore the healthy life of the river,water demands for sediment transportation,pollution control and wetlands ecosystem have to be maintained.The paper also addresses that the river's life flow greatly depends on people's expected value and future water condition.To implement and assure the life flow is also an important issue.Therefore,further study should be carried out in the Yellow River in terms of river's life flow,water supply capacity and way of water utilization,because this kind of study is still in the preliminary stage.

Key words: Yellow River, health, river life, water requirement