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China's Water Resources Management Challenge

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China's Water Resources Management Challenge TECHNICAL FOCUS PAPER China's water resources management challenge: The 'three red lines' www.gwp.org The Global Water Partnership's vision is for a water secure world. Our mission is to advance governance and management of water resources for sustainable and equitable development. Global Water Partnership (GWP) is an international network, created in 1996 to foster an integrated approach to water resources management (IWRM). IWRM is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. The Network is open to all organisations that recognise the principles of an integrated approach to water resources management endorsed by the Network. It includes states, government institutions (national, regional, and local), intergovernmental organisations, international and national non-governmental organisations, academic and research institutions, private sector companies, and service providers in the public sector. GWP’s Technical Committee is a group of internationally recognised professionals and scientists skilled in the different aspects of water management. This committee provides technical support and advice to the Partnership as a whole. The Technical Committee has been charged with developing an analytical framework of the water sector and proposing actions that will promote sustainable water resources management. A Technical Focus Paper is a publication of the GWP Technical Committee aimed at harnessing and sharing knowledge and experiences generated by knowledge partners and Regional and Country Water Partnerships. © Global Water Partnership, 2015. All rights reserved. This publication is the property of Global Water Partnership (GWP) and is protected by intellectual property laws. Portions of the text may be reproduced for educational or non-commercial use without prior permission from GWP, provided that the source is acknowledged, with mention of the complete name of the report, and that the portions are not used in a misleading context. No use of this publication may be made for resale or other commercial purposes. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by GWP. ISSN: 2001-4023 ISBN: 978-91-87823-19-0 Printed by Elanders, Sweden, 2015 Design and layout by Scriptoria, www.scriptoria.co.uk 2 www.gwp.org Contents Acronyms ...... ................................................................... 4 Foreword ....... ................................................................... 5 Executive summary.............................................................. 6 1 China’s water resources challenge . 7 1.1 China’s water resources ....................................................7 1.2 Water demand is exceeding supply ........................................8 1.3 More water needed for growth .............................................9 1.4 More water needed for people ...........................................10 1.5 Problems of efficiency and pollution control ............................10 1.6 Ineffective water management ...........................................10 1.7 The need for reform ......................................................11 1.8 Need for an integrated approach ........................................12 1.9 A new approach to allocating water......................................12 1.10 A strategy for managing water resources ................................12 2 ‘Three red lines’ .............................................................14 2.1 A ‘red line’ for total water use............................................15 2.2 A ‘red line’ for water use efficiency ......................................16 2.3 A ‘red line’ for controlling pollution ......................................17 2.4 Main tasks................................................................18 2.4.1 Controlling total water use ......................................19 2.4.2 Improving water use efficiency..................................20 2.4.3 Controlling pollution . 20 2.5 Guiding principles ........................................................21 3 What has been achieved so far? ........................................22 3.1 Political and policy support ..............................................22 3.2 Capacity building .........................................................24 3.3 Accountability and evaluation ...........................................27 3.4 Monitoring water resources ..............................................28 3.5 Pilot projects .............................................................28 3.6 Integrated urban water management in Beijing .........................30 3.7 Guidance for future developments.......................................36 4 Conclusions ..................................................................37 References ...... ..................................................................38 www.gwp.org 3 ACRONYMS Acronyms BWA ........ Beijing Water Authority CNY......... Chinese Yuan Renminbi COD ........ Chemical oxygen demand GDP ........ Gross domestic product IUWM ....... Integrated urban water management MRP ........ Middle route project of SNWD MWR........ Ministry of Water Resources SNWD....... South-to-north water-diversion project WRC ........ Water Resources Commission WUA ........ Water users' association 4 www.gwp.org FOREWORD Foreword This Technical Focus Paper is the third in a series of papers that provide a critical review of progress made in planning and putting integrated water resources management into practice. The paper synthesises the challenges, successes, setbacks, and the direction for further integration. It provides valuable insights from which others can learn lessons and apply them to their particular and often unique circumstances. This paper focuses on water resources management in China – an immense country which throughout history has always had water at the heart of its political and economic life. Today, water is still seen as a major constraint on the nation’s economic and social development given a growing population, urbanisation, and industrialisation at a time when there are serious water shortages and an increasing frequency and severity of droughts. This paper describes the water challenges facing China and the steps being taken to put water at the centre of sustainable social and economic development. It sets out ambitious plans for a stringent, integrated approach to water resources management. It establishes ‘three red lines’ that set limits on future water demand and detail expectations for water use efficiency and water quality within which water resources must be planned and managed. This is a long-term plan and progress is described as the plan is put into practice in an urban setting in Beijing. Our thanks for this publication go to the authors Prof Shen Dajun, Renmin University, Dr Jiang Yunzhong, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, and Dr Sun Fu, Tsinghua University. We wish also to acknowledge the Asia-Pacific Center for Water Security in Tsinghua University for its assistance in inviting Dr Sun Fu, who contributed the Beijing case study on integrated urban water management. We would also like to thank Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, Technical Committee (TEC) member, for his initiative and support in facilitating this collaboration; Ms Gu Liya from the International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges and Cooperation, Ministry of Water Resources, who helped to translate the paper from Chinese into English; and editorial inputs from Zheng Rugang (GWP China Coordinator), Melvyn Kay (GWP-TEC editor), and Danka Thalmeinerova (GWP Senior Knowledge Management Officer). Dr Mohamed Ait Kadi Prof Wang Hao Chair, GWP Technical Committee Acting Chair of GWP China www.gwp.org 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive summary Throughout China’s history water has always been an essential part of political and economic life and important to the country’s prosperity and stability. Even in ancient times water was mentioned in legends, such as ‘King Yu combating flood’. Today, China is facing a great challenge as water resources begin to constrain the nation’s economic and social development. Since the early 1980s when China implemented reform and an open policy to the outside world, the country has seen significant achievements in developing and allocating water, conservation, protection, and water resources management, which greatly contribute to social and economic development and people’s well-being. But sustainable economic development is still a major challenge as China faces a growing population, industrialisation, and urbanisation at a time when there are serious water shortages in some parts of the country, and there is growing pollution, and declining aquatic ecosystems. In 2011, to address these serious and complex water resources challenges, the Central Government set about major reforms to implement stringent water resources management and set up ‘three red lines’ to control total water use, improve water use efficiency, and control water pollution. In 2012, the State Council issued The guidelines on implementing the stringent water resources management system which mapped out the working arrangements. These guidelines identified the main objectives and put forward the measures to be taken, the tasks to be completed, and the accountability procedures to
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