Addressing China's Water Scarcity: A Synthesis of Recommendations for Selected Water Resource Management Issues (World Bank Publications)

"China faces a major challenge in managing its scarce water resources to sustain economic growth in the years ahead. This report provides an overview of China's water scarcity situation, assesses the policy and institutional requirements for addressing it, and recommends key areas for strengthening and reform. The issues covered in the report are water governance, water rights, water pricing and affordability, watershed ecological compensation, water pollution control, and emergency prevention. The report's recommendations identify the key measures needed to effectively address these issues."--Jacket This report reviews China's water scarcity situation, assesses the policy and institutional requirements for addressing it, and recommends key areas for strengthening and reform. It is a synthesis of the main findings and recommendations from analytical work and case studies prepared under the World Bank Analytical and Advisory Assistance (AAA) program entitled 'Addressing China's Water Scarcity: from Analysis to Action.' These studies focus on several strategically important thematic areas for China where additional research was needed, as identified by the research team and advisory group based on a review of pressing issues. These areas are governance, water rights, pricing, ecological compensation, pollution control, and emergency response. The approach has been to evaluate Chinese and international experience to identify policy and institutional factors that have proven effective in promoting the adoption of water conservation and pollution reduction technologies. The research was based on literature reviews, qualitative and quantitative policy analyses, household surveys, field trips, and case studies to develop feasible recommendations for a plan of action based on realities on the ground Introduction Water scarcity in China : current situation Water resources management in China : an overview of determinant variables Improving water governance Deepening water rights administration and developing water markets Improving efficiency and equity in water pricing Protecting ecosystems in river basins through market-oriented eco-compensation instruments Controlling water pollution Preventing water pollution disasters Summary, action plan and issues for the future.