SRA Final Report
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SRA Final Report Small Research Activity project Agricultural water-use efficiency in north-west China date published June 2008 prepared by Philip Young Team Leader and Agricultural Economist/Program Planner David Marston Natural Resource Management and Water Use Specialist Professor Wang Jinxia Agricultural Economist Professor Li Xiande Policy Specialist. approved by Dr Christian Roth project number 2008-35 [LWR/2006/076] ISBN 978 1 921434 83 9 published by ACIAR GPO Box 1571 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia This publication is published by ACIAR ABN 34 864 955 427. Care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However ACIAR cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained in the publication. You should make your own enquiries before making decisions concerning your interests. © Commonwealth of Australia 2008 - This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca. Final Report: Agricultural Water Use Efficiency in North-West China Contents 1 Acknowledgments ................................................................................... 6 2 Executive summary ................................................................................. 6 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 The mission......................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 General conclusions............................................................................................................ 7 2.4 Specific findings – key issues ............................................................................................. 8 2.5 Specific findings – subsidiary issues................................................................................... 9 2.6 Conclusions and recommendations.................................................................................... 9 3 Introduction ............................................................................................ 10 4 Context and setting................................................................................ 12 4.1 China’s national water management objectives ............................................................... 12 4.2 Water-saving agriculture ................................................................................................... 13 4.3 Water in north-west China ................................................................................................ 14 4.4 Agricultural setting............................................................................................................. 16 5 Main findings.......................................................................................... 17 5.1 Key and subsidiary issues ................................................................................................ 17 5.2 Key issues......................................................................................................................... 17 5.3 Subsidiary issues .............................................................................................................. 20 6 Policies and programs guiding land and water management............ 24 6.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 24 6.2 National-level laws, policies and projects ......................................................................... 24 6.3 Gansu-level laws, policies and projects............................................................................ 25 7 Past, current and future research on WUE and CA............................. 25 7.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 25 7.2 Assessment against land and water management issues................................................ 26 7.3 Relationships between R&D projects and land and water management issues .............. 28 7.4 Comments on proposed projects ...................................................................................... 29 8 Extension and technology transfer issues .......................................... 32 8.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 32 8.2 Specific comments on agricultural extension.................................................................... 32 9 Drivers of change in water and land management.............................. 35 2 Final Report: Agricultural Water Use Efficiency in North-West China 9.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 35 9.2 Natural resource managers .............................................................................................. 35 9.3 Farmers, herders and foresters ........................................................................................ 36 10 Options for future research strategy.................................................... 39 10.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 39 10.2 A bidding process.............................................................................................................. 41 11 References.............................................................................................. 44 12 Appendixes............................................................................................. 45 12.1 Appendix 1: Policies and programs related to WUE......................................................... 45 12.2 Appendix 2: Land and water resource projects in loess or related areas - recent past, current and proposed........................................................................................................ 58 12.3 Appendix 3: Agricultural water use in China ..................................................................... 67 12.4 Appendix 4: Public agricultural extension systems in China............................................. 74 Tables and figures Table 1: IWRM Management Tools (adapted from IWRM Toolbox).............................................. 13 Table 2: Spread of R&D Projects against Land and Water Management Topics.......................... 28 Figure 1: Fit of Past and Current R&D across the Landscape .................................................27 3 Final Report: Agricultural Water Use Efficiency in North-West China Abbreviations and acronyms ACEDP Australia China Environment Development Program ACIAR Australian International Centre for International Research ACWF All China Women’s Federation ADB Asian Development Bank ATDH Agricultural Technology Demonstration Household ATEC Agricultural Technology Extension Centre AusAID Australian Agency for International Development CAAS Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science CAS Chinese Academy of Science CA Conservation Agriculture CATEC County Agricultural Technological Extension Centre CIDA Canadian International Development Assistance CT Controlled Traffic DfID Department for International Development (UK) EC Extension Centre EOI Expression of Interest FFS Farmer Field School GAAS Gansu Academy of Agricultural Science GFGP Grain for Green Program ID Irrigation District ISWC Institute of Soil and Water Conservation MATEC Municipal Agricultural Technological Extension Centre M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MEP Ministry of Environmental Protection MLR Ministry of Land Resources (Chinese) MOA Ministry of Agriculture (Chinese) MOF Ministry of Finance (Chinese) MOST Ministry of Science and Technology (Chinese) MWR Ministry of Water Resources (Chinese) N Nitrogen NDRC National Development and Reform Commission (Chinese) P Phosphorus PADO Poverty Alleviation and Development Office (Chinese) PATEC Provincial Agricultural Technological Extension Centre R&D Research and Development R,D&E Research, Development and Extension SEPA State Environment Protection Agency (Chinese) RHCRS Rural Household Contract Responsibility System SRBMB Shiyang River Basin Management Bureau SFA State Forestry Administration (Chinese) TATEC Township Agricultural Technology Extension Centre 4 Final Report: Agricultural Water Use Efficiency in North-West China TOR Terms of Reference WRDMAP Water Resources Demand Management Assistance Project (UK) WTO World Trade Organization WUE Water Use Efficiency ZT Zero Tillage 5 Final Report: Agricultural Water Use Efficiency in North-West China 1 Acknowledgments The team of consultants would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank the large number of Chinese scientists and government rural development officials who assisted with the study, and participated in the workshops to finalise the recommended strategy. The team also wishes to record their thanks to ACIAR’s Beijing-based staff who assisted by organizing travel and meeting agendas, and for their support throughout the two missions