The River Chief System and An Ecological Initiative for Public Participation in China

This book provides an alternative agenda to deepening the understanding of the River Chief System as a distinctive responsibility approach to solve water pollution and associated governance dilemmas. Insightful analysis is performed through in-depth studies of the origins of China’s River Chief System, responsibility mechanisms, governmental and civil river chiefs, formal and informal water governing institutions, public participation, empowerment with accountability, and the environmental impact. Contents 1 Introduction: River Chief System and Ecological Progress in China 1 Background 2 Water Governance in China from a Historical Perspective 3 Principal-Agent Relationship, Responsibility and State-Society Mutual Empowerment 4 Water Pollution, Whose Responsibility, and Innovating Water Governance Institutions References 2 Top-Down Mechanisms: Governmental River Chiefs 1 Politics of Responsibility and Responsiveness 2 Responsibility-Driven Leadership 3 Politics of Diffusion of River Chief System References 3 Bottom-Up Mechanisms: Civil River Chiefs 1 The Role of Civil River Chiefs 2 Women’s Participation and Cross-Basin Collective Action 3 Public Participation Promoting Environmental Well-Being References 4 From Governmental River Chiefs to Public Participation 1 Rivers Chiefs’ Action 2 One River One Policy 3 Formal and Informal Water Governance Institutions References 5 Dual-Governance Structure and Forms of Responsibility 1 When Top-Down Meets Bottom-UP: Vertical and Horizontal Governance 2 Forms of Responsibility 3 Voluntary Being Accountable Reference 6 Conclusion: The Future of River Chief System 1 Responsibility System and Water Management 2 From River Chief System to Future Sustainable River Governance Reference