Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China : Framework, Reform and Implementation

This book explores water resources management issues in China and possible solutions. It analyzes a wide range of general and specific topics, providing case studies and a balanced review of the past and present situation as well as future developments. The book begins with a general introduction and an overview of hydrology, water resources, and development issues in China. It then presents a management framework, including a management system, management institutions, river basin management, water pricing, water rights, and groundwater management, and discusses its implementation, covering water resources allocation and regulation in the Yellow River, integrated water affair management reforms, and agricultural water management in northern China. The last section focuses on the current reforms and hot topics, with strong emphasis on stringent water resource strategies applied to the river and lake principle system, recycled water use and water resources asset management, as well as climate change impacts, and concludes with a summary of the many changes in the water sector in China and a look at the road ahead and the areas that still need to be reformed. Preface Contents Abbreviations 1 Physical Settings and Water Challenges 1.1 Geographical Aspects 1.1.1 Topography 1.1.2 Climate 1.1.3 Rivers 1.2 Hydrology 1.2.1 Precipitation 1.2.2 Evaporation 1.2.3 Runoff 1.3 Water Resources 1.3.1 Surface Water Resources 1.3.2 Groundwater Resources 1.3.3 Water Resources 1.4 Water Resources Development and Use 1.4.1 Water Resources Development 1.4.2 Water Use 1.5 Key Water Resource Issues 1.5.1 Serious Water Supply and Demand Conflict 1.5.2 Heavy Water Pollution 1.5.3 Increasing Water Ecosystem Degradation 1.5.4 Low Water-Use Efficiency 1.6 Summary References 2 Water Resources Management Framework 2.1 Water Resources Management Framework 2.2 Main Water Resources Management Systems 2.2.1 Medium- and Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Planning System 2.2.2 Water Resources Allocation System 2.2.3 Water Abstraction Permit System 2.2.4 Water Resources Fee System 2.2.5 Water Resources Justification System 2.2.6 Planned Water Use System 2.2.7 Water Function Zoning System 2.2.8 Total Pollutant Discharge Volume Control System 2.2.9 Management System of Discharge Outlet into Water Body 2.2.10 Total Water Volume Control System 2.2.11 Quota Management System 2.2.12 Metric Charging System 2.2.13 Overcharge for Plan/Quota-Exceeding Use 2.2.14 Water-Saving System 2.2.15 Groundwater Management System 2.3 Relationships Among Water Resources Management Systems 2.3.1 Water Resources Development and Use Process 2.3.2 Management Responsibility 2.3.3 Timing 2.3.4 Space 2.3.5 Technical Review and Administrative Management 2.3.6 Management Instruments 2.3.7 Management Level 2.4 Summary References 3 Water Resources Management Institutions 3.1 Water Management Institutions Before 1949 3.2 MWR Between Oct. 1949–Mar. 1958: Water Resources Development and Agricultural Development 3.3 MWP Between Mar. 1958–Mar. 1988: Water Resources Development and Power Development 3.3.1 MWP During February 1958–July 1967 3.3.2 MWP During July 1967–January 1975 3.3.3 MWP During January 1975–February 1979 3.3.4 MWR Between February 1979 and March 1982 3.3.5 MWP During March 1982–March 1988 3.4 MWR During Mar. 1988–Mar. 2018: From Construction to Water Resources Management 3.4.1 MWR During March 1988–March 1993 3.4.2 MWR During March 1993–March 1998 3.4.3 MWR During March 1998–March 2003 and March 2003–March 2008 3.4.4 MWR During March 2008–March 2013 and March 2013–March 2018 3.5 MWR and Related Ministries After 2018 3.6 Summary: Transition of Water Resources Institutions in China References 4 River Basin Management 4.1 Major River Basins and Water Resource Development 4.1.1 River Basins and Water Resource Issues in China 4.2 River Basin Management in China: Legal Framework 4.3 River Basin Management Systems in China: Implementation Design 4.3.1 River Basin Water Resource Monitoring and Assessment 4.3.2 River Basin Planning 4.3.3 River Basin Water Resource Allocation 4.3.4 River Basin Water Resource Protection 4.3.5 River Basin Flood Control 4.3.6 River Course Management 4.3.7 Interprovincial Water Dispute Mediation 4.4 RBO in China: Institutional Setting 4.4.1 RBO Development After 1949 4.4.2 Functions and Structures of RBOs 4.5 Experiences from River Basin Management in China 4.6 Summary References 5 Water Resources Allocation and Regulation 5.1 Water Resource Allocation in China 5.1.1 River Basin and Regional Water Resources Allocation 5.1.2 Allocation of Regional Supply to Water Abstractors 5.1.3 Water Resource Allocation in Public Water Supply System 5.2 Water Resource Regulation in China 5.2.1 River Basin and Regional Water Resource Regulation 5.2.2 Annual Water Abstraction Plan 5.2.3 Annual/Seasonal Water Use Plan 5.3 Water Trade 5.4 Summary References 6 Water Rights System 6.1 The Development of the Water Rights System Framework in China 6.2 Water Rights Legal Framework 6.2.1 Constitution 6.2.2 General Principles of Civil Law 6.2.3 Property Rights Law 6.2.4 Water Law 6.3 Water Rights in China 6.3.1 Ownership Rights 6.3.2 Collective Use Rights 6.3.3 Regional water rights 6.3.4 Water Abstraction Rights 6.3.5 Water Rights Certificate and Water Ticket 6.4 Challenges and Suggestions to Improve Water Rights System Development in China 6.4.1 Challenges to Implementation of a Water Rights System 6.4.2 Recommendations for Implementing Water Rights System in China 6.5 Summary References 7 Water Pricing 7.1 Water Pricing Framework in China 7.1.1 Water Resources Fee/Tax 7.1.2 Water Supply Tariff from Hydraulic Engineering 7.1.3 Urban Water Supply Tariff 7.1.4 Wastewater Collection and Treatment Tariff 7.1.5 Pollutant Discharge Fee/Tax 7.2 Water Resources Fee/Tax 7.3 Water Supply Tariff from Hydraulic Engineering 7.4 Urban Water Supply Tariff 7.5 Wastewater Collection and Treatment Tariff 7.6 Pollutant Discharge Fee/Tax 7.7 Some Issues 7.7.1 Nature of Water and Its Services 7.7.2 Cost Recovery 7.7.3 Water Price Burden 7.8 Suggestions 7.9 Summary References 8 Groundwater Management 8.1 Groundwater Resources and Development in China 8.1.1 Groundwater Resources 8.1.2 Groundwater Development and Use in China 8.1.3 Groundwater Development Problems 8.2 Groundwater Management System in China 8.2.1 Legislation 8.2.2 Institution 8.2.3 Main Management Instruments 8.3 Problems with Groundwater Management in China 8.4 Suggestions to Improve Groundwater Management in China 8.5 Summary References 9 Water Quality Management 9.1 Legal Framework 9.2 Institutional Arrangements 9.3 Management Instruments 9.3.1 Standards 9.3.2 Planning 9.3.3 EIA and “Three-Simultaneous” for Construction Project 9.3.4 Function Zones 9.3.5 Total Discharge Volume Control System for Key Water Pollutants 9.3.6 Permits 9.3.7 Economic Incentives 9.3.8 River/Lake Chief System 9.3.9 Drinking Water Source Protection Zone 9.4 Key Issues in Water Quality Management in China 9.5 Suggestions and Recommendations 9.6 Summary References 10 Recycled Water Use Management 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Recycled Water Reuse in China 10.3 Recycled Water Reuse Policy in China 10.4 Recycled Water Reuse Management in China 10.4.1 Standards 10.4.2 Institution 10.4.3 Management Instruments 10.5 Issues 10.5.1 Nature of the Recycled Water Use 10.5.2 Safety 10.5.3 Economic Feasibility 10.5.4 River Basin Management 10.6 Summary References 11 The River and Lake Chief System 11.1 Development Process 11.2 System Framework 11.2.1 Principles 11.2.2 Institutional Setting 11.2.3 Responsibilities of the River Chiefs 11.2.4 Key Tasks 11.2.5 Supporting 11.2.6 Lake Chief System 11.2.7 Institutional Framework Related to Water 11.3 System Implementation 11.4 Discussion 11.5 Summary References 12 The Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy and Its Three Red Lines 12.1 Water Resources and Management Challenges in 2008 12.1.1 Water Resources 12.1.2 Water Resources Management 12.2 Strategic Framework for the “Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy” 12.2.1 Objectives 12.2.2 Guiding Principles 12.3 Key Tasks: Three Red Lines 12.3.1 Strengthening Management of Water Resources Development Redline to Implement Control of Total Water Use 12.3.2 Strengthening Management of Water-Use Efficiency Redline to Promote Water-Saving Society Development 12.3.3 Strengthening Management of Water Function Zone Pollutant Assimilation Redline to Control Pollutant Discharge Into Waters 12.4 Implementation 12.4.1 Decision on Speeding Water Sector Development and Reform, 2011 12.4.2 Opinions on Implementing the Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy, 2012 12.4.3 Assessment Methods to Implement the Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy, 2013 12.4.4 Assessment Implementation Plan for Implementation of the Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy, 2014, and the 2016 Assessment Implementation Plan for Implementation of the Strict Water Resources Management Strategy for 13th Five-Year Plan 12.4.5 Assessment Results for 2014–2017 12.5 Conclusion and Outlook References 13 Water Resource Assets Management Reform 13.1 Introduction 13.2 General Framework 13.2.1 General Reform Plan of the Eco-Civilization System 13.2.2 Natural Resources Unified Clarification and Registration Method (Trial) and 2019 Natural Resources Unified Clarification and Registration Temporary Method 13.2.3 Guidance on the System for Paying and Usage of Resources for Publicly Owned Natural Resources 13.2.4 Guidance to Comprehensively Promote the Reform of the Natural Resource Assets Property Rights System 13.3 Reforms of the Management of Water Resource Assets 13.3.1 Institutional Reform 13.3.2 Key Activities 13.4 Conclusion and Outlook References 14 Water Resource Allocation and Regulation in Yellow River Basin 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Water Resource Allocation 14.2.1 1987 Water Resource Allocation Plan 14.2.2 Monthly Allocation in 1998 14.2.3 Yellow River Water Resources Regulation Management Regulation 14.2.4 Water Resource Allocation in the Hangjin Irrigation District 14.3 Water Resource Regulation 14.3.1 Water Resource Regulation of the Yellow River 14.3.2 Water Use in HID 14.4 Water Trade in the Yellow River 14.5 Discussions 14.6 Summary References 15 Agricultural Water Management in Northern China 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Agricultural Water Use and Agricultural Production in Northern China 15.2.1 Agricultural Water Use and Production in China 15.2.2 Agricultural Water Use and Production in Northern China 15.3 Agricultural Water Resources Management Framework 15.3.1 Institutions 15.3.2 Legal and Policy Framework 15.4 Key Sectoral Reforms 15.4.1 Institutional Reform 15.4.2 Investment Reform 15.4.3 Pricing for Agricultural Water Use 15.4.4 Agricultural Water Rights Reform 15.4.5 Allocating Water for Agriculture and Regulating Agricultural Water Use Structures 15.5 External Factors Impacting Agricultural Water Resources Management 15.5.1 Multi-channel Financing 15.5.2 Energy Pricing 15.5.3 Grain Production Direct Subsidy Policy 15.6 Field-Level Efforts to Improve Agricultural Water Resources Management 15.6.1 Tube Well Ownership and Groundwater Trade 15.6.2 Application of Water-Saving Technologies 15.6.3 Water and Fertilizer Integrated Technology 15.7 Summary References 16 Integrated Urban and Rural Water Affair Management Reform: Shanghai and Beijing 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Institutional Basis for Reform 16.3 Reform Progress 16.4 Shanghai 16.5 Beijing 16.6 Discussion 16.7 Summary References 17 Environmental Flow Definition and Management: A Case Study of the Jiaojiang River, Zhejiang Province 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Environmental Flow Research and Management in China 17.3 Environmental Flow Assessment and Water Resources Planning in the Jiaojiang River, Zhejiang Province 17.3.1 Brief Introduction 17.3.2 Environmental Flow Definition 17.3.3 Development of Water Resource Management Model 17.3.4 Water Resources Allocation Plan Scenarios 17.3.5 Analyses of Modeling Results 17.3.6 Recommended Water Resources Allocation Plan 17.4 Summary References 18 Climatic Change and Water Resources 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Activities 18.3 Precipitation 18.3.1 Observations 18.3.2 Estimates 18.4 Water Resources 18.4.1 Observations 18.4.2 Estimates 18.5 Recommendations 18.6 Summary References 19 Review and Outlook 19.1 Water Resources Development and Use Since 1949 19.2 Water Resources Management Since 1978 19.2.1 Legislation 19.2.2 Institutions 19.2.3 Key Management Instruments and Activities 19.3 Water Resources Policy After 1980 19.3.1 1980s: Improving Benefits 19.3.2 1990–1998: Repositioning Role 19.3.3 1998–2009: Redefining the Water–Human Relationship 19.3.4 Post-2009: Market-Oriented Final Solution 19.4 Outlook References Index