100
4 River Basin Management
During this period, RBOs and the institutes conducted extensive investigations,
research, and assessments, and they completed comprehensive plans for all seven
key rivers. These plans defined development tasks, orders and measures for the river
basins, and were used as the basis of river basin water resource development and
management until the 1980s.
In the 1950s, when the country began large-scale water resource development,
local governments did not have adequate technical capacities or extensive local water
agencies. Given this historical context, RBOs and institutes with strong technical
forces had a wide range of responsibilities, including preparation of comprehensive river basin plans and hydrometeorological observations; management of river
courses, dykes, and irrigation and drainage; river basin flood-control regulation;
and planning, surveying, design, and execution of water projects. This range of
responsibilities was closely linked to the powerful administrative authority of RBOs.
In the 1950s, the directors of river basin commissions were appointed by the
State Council. The deputy directors came from the leaders of the provinces. RBOs
had the authority to review projects and allocate investments. For example, the Huai
River Water Resources Commission was directly led by the State Council, with the
director replaced by the vice premier. The deputy directors were the provincial party
secretaries of CPC or governors of the river basin. The line agencies were set up
in the provinces, prefectures, counties, and even countries, with the local government leaders as the leaders. The Commission arranged the planning, budgeting, and
staffing of the agencies. This highly centralized water management model played a
major role in harnessing the Huai River Basin and managed sensitive and complex
interprovincial water affairs.
4.4.1.2 End of 1950s to the End of the 1970s
From the end of the 1950s to the end of the 1970s, China underwent the Great
Leap Forward, the “Three Years Natural Disaster” and the Cultural Revolution, and
RBOs were seriously impaired and re-emphasized during this period. In 1958, the
Huai River Harness Commission was revoked, and river basin harness activities
were undertaken by individual provinces. Additionally, the local agencies under the
Commission became water resource bureaus within local governments. In the same
year, the Pearl River Basin Planning Office, which was established in 1956, was
removed. In 1956, the duties of the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission
were adjusted. The bureaus set up at the upper, middle, and lower reaches were
removed, and the dykes and projects managed by the Commission were handed over
to the provinces. The Yangtze River Basin Planning Office replaced the Commission,
specializing in river development and harness research, river basin plan compilation,
and key project design. In 1960, the Shandong and Henan River Affair Bureaus,
overseen by the Yellow River Water Resources Commission in charge of downstream
river course management, were handed over to local governments. In 1961, the
Northwest Yellow River Engineering Bureau of the Yellow River Water Resources
4 River Basin Management
During this period, RBOs and the institutes conducted extensive investigations,
research, and assessments, and they completed comprehensive plans for all seven
key rivers. These plans defined development tasks, orders and measures for the river
basins, and were used as the basis of river basin water resource development and
management until the 1980s.
In the 1950s, when the country began large-scale water resource development,
local governments did not have adequate technical capacities or extensive local water
agencies. Given this historical context, RBOs and institutes with strong technical
forces had a wide range of responsibilities, including preparation of comprehensive river basin plans and hydrometeorological observations; management of river
courses, dykes, and irrigation and drainage; river basin flood-control regulation;
and planning, surveying, design, and execution of water projects. This range of
responsibilities was closely linked to the powerful administrative authority of RBOs.
In the 1950s, the directors of river basin commissions were appointed by the
State Council. The deputy directors came from the leaders of the provinces. RBOs
had the authority to review projects and allocate investments. For example, the Huai
River Water Resources Commission was directly led by the State Council, with the
director replaced by the vice premier. The deputy directors were the provincial party
secretaries of CPC or governors of the river basin. The line agencies were set up
in the provinces, prefectures, counties, and even countries, with the local government leaders as the leaders. The Commission arranged the planning, budgeting, and
staffing of the agencies. This highly centralized water management model played a
major role in harnessing the Huai River Basin and managed sensitive and complex
interprovincial water affairs.
4.4.1.2 End of 1950s to the End of the 1970s
From the end of the 1950s to the end of the 1970s, China underwent the Great
Leap Forward, the “Three Years Natural Disaster” and the Cultural Revolution, and
RBOs were seriously impaired and re-emphasized during this period. In 1958, the
Huai River Harness Commission was revoked, and river basin harness activities
were undertaken by individual provinces. Additionally, the local agencies under the
Commission became water resource bureaus within local governments. In the same
year, the Pearl River Basin Planning Office, which was established in 1956, was
removed. In 1956, the duties of the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission
were adjusted. The bureaus set up at the upper, middle, and lower reaches were
removed, and the dykes and projects managed by the Commission were handed over
to the provinces. The Yangtze River Basin Planning Office replaced the Commission,
specializing in river development and harness research, river basin plan compilation,
and key project design. In 1960, the Shandong and Henan River Affair Bureaus,
overseen by the Yellow River Water Resources Commission in charge of downstream
river course management, were handed over to local governments. In 1961, the
Northwest Yellow River Engineering Bureau of the Yellow River Water Resources