96
4 River Basin Management
and submitted to the State Council or its authorized agency for approval (Article 10,
2016 Flood Control Law).
Water pollution control shall be integrated based on river basin or region. The
water pollution control plans for key state river basins and lakes shall be compiled
by the environmental administrative department, the economic comprehensive regulation department and water department of the State Council, and relevant provincial governments; they are then submitted to the State Council for approval. The
water pollution control plan for other interprovincial river basins and lakes shall
be compiled by relevant provincial environmental protection administrative departments with provincial water departments and prefectural governments, reviewed by
relevant provincial governments, and submitted to the State Council for approval
(Article 16, 2017 Water Pollution Control Law).
4.3.3 River Basin Water Resource Allocation
To regulate runoff and allocate water resources, water resources allocation plans must
be formulated with river basins as units and according to river basin plan and water
resources medium- and long-term supply and demand plan. The water resources allocation plans of interprovincial river basins, as well as drought contingency plans, are
formulated by the applicable RBOs together with relevant provincial governments,
and they are submitted to the State Council or its authorized department (normally
MWR) for approval (Article 45, 2016 Water Law).
Annual water resource regulation plans shall be prepared by WADs above countylevel or RBOs, based on the relevant water resource allocation plans and annual inflow
forecasts (Article 46, 2016 Water Law).
In terms of water abstraction permits, the implementation of water abstraction
must be in accordance with the river basin comprehensive plan and approved water
resource allocation plans or agreements (Article 6, 2006 Regulation on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee Collection). The total
approved water consumption in a river basin shall not exceed the river basin’s water
resource availability. The total regional approved abstraction volume shall not exceed
the regional volume issued by RBO or upper level WADs (Article 7, 2006 Regulation
on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee Collection). The water abstraction permit implements a hierarchical approval system. RBOs
are responsible for water abstraction as follows (Article 14, 2006 Regulation on the
Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee Collection):
above-defined volume at the mainstreams of the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai, Hai, Luan,
Pearl, Songhua, Liao, Jinsha, and Han Rivers; Taihu Lake, and other defined river
courses in interprovincial rivers and lakes; above-defined volume at the defined river
courses in transboundary rivers and international boundary rivers; above-defined
volume at provincial boundary rivers and lakes; cross-province abstraction; large
construction projects approved by the State Council or its investment administrative
department; and at the river courses or lakes directly managed by RBOs.
4 River Basin Management
and submitted to the State Council or its authorized agency for approval (Article 10,
2016 Flood Control Law).
Water pollution control shall be integrated based on river basin or region. The
water pollution control plans for key state river basins and lakes shall be compiled
by the environmental administrative department, the economic comprehensive regulation department and water department of the State Council, and relevant provincial governments; they are then submitted to the State Council for approval. The
water pollution control plan for other interprovincial river basins and lakes shall
be compiled by relevant provincial environmental protection administrative departments with provincial water departments and prefectural governments, reviewed by
relevant provincial governments, and submitted to the State Council for approval
(Article 16, 2017 Water Pollution Control Law).
4.3.3 River Basin Water Resource Allocation
To regulate runoff and allocate water resources, water resources allocation plans must
be formulated with river basins as units and according to river basin plan and water
resources medium- and long-term supply and demand plan. The water resources allocation plans of interprovincial river basins, as well as drought contingency plans, are
formulated by the applicable RBOs together with relevant provincial governments,
and they are submitted to the State Council or its authorized department (normally
MWR) for approval (Article 45, 2016 Water Law).
Annual water resource regulation plans shall be prepared by WADs above countylevel or RBOs, based on the relevant water resource allocation plans and annual inflow
forecasts (Article 46, 2016 Water Law).
In terms of water abstraction permits, the implementation of water abstraction
must be in accordance with the river basin comprehensive plan and approved water
resource allocation plans or agreements (Article 6, 2006 Regulation on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee Collection). The total
approved water consumption in a river basin shall not exceed the river basin’s water
resource availability. The total regional approved abstraction volume shall not exceed
the regional volume issued by RBO or upper level WADs (Article 7, 2006 Regulation
on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee Collection). The water abstraction permit implements a hierarchical approval system. RBOs
are responsible for water abstraction as follows (Article 14, 2006 Regulation on the
Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee Collection):
above-defined volume at the mainstreams of the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai, Hai, Luan,
Pearl, Songhua, Liao, Jinsha, and Han Rivers; Taihu Lake, and other defined river
courses in interprovincial rivers and lakes; above-defined volume at the defined river
courses in transboundary rivers and international boundary rivers; above-defined
volume at provincial boundary rivers and lakes; cross-province abstraction; large
construction projects approved by the State Council or its investment administrative
department; and at the river courses or lakes directly managed by RBOs.