Abstract: The relative efficiency of water resources utilization in eighteen districts of Beijing from 2001 to 2009 are calculated by using improved data envelopment analysis (DEA). The calculated results are further analyzed with exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and with spatial autocorrelation analysis(global spatial autocorrelation factor  Moran’s I and local spatial autocorrelation factor Local Moran’s I). Results show that the relative efficiency of water use in the districts/counties of Beijing have improved, with that of well-developed districts higher than lessdeveloped districts. Moreover, we conclude that the water resources utilization relative efficiency of Beijing has no significant spatial features, which means that the relative efficiency of water use in each district/county of Beijing tends to distribute randomly. Local spatial autocorrelation analysis shows that the spatial pattern is featured by high efficiency in the central area and low in the surrounding area instead of high efficiency in the north and low in the south in the past, which is consistent with the spatial distribution pattern of economic development. It’s concluded that water use efficiency has correlation with economic development, and the area with rapid economic development in general has higher relative efficiency of water resources utilization.

Key words:  spatial autocorrelation, water resources utilization, spatial and temporal distribution