4.4 RBO in China: Institutional Setting
101
Commission, which was responsible for water and soil conservation and development
of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, was removed.
Along with the demolition of the RBOs and the weakening of management functions, challenges such as river basin plan implementation and serious interprovincial water conflicts arose, especially frequent interprovincial drainage and water use
disputes in the Yellow–Huai–Hai River Basin Plain in the 1960s. At the same time,
the survey and design institutes under MWR could not function well in river basin
management. Therefore, the central government re-examined river basin management. In 1962, management of the river course in the downstream of the Yellow
River, which was higher than the land surface around the river, was returned to the
Yellow River Commission. In 1963, the Jindi River Engineering Management Bureau
was established as part of the Yellow River Commission to deal with severe interprovincial water conflicts. In 1964, the Zhangweinan Canal Management Bureau
was set up under direct management from MWP before being transferred to the Hai
River Basin Water Resources Commission in 1979. In response to the problems of
the Huai River, the State Council established the State Council Huai River Planning
Group in 1969, chaired by members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee
of the CPC, leaders from MWR, and the governors of relevant provinces. In 1971, the
Office of the State Council Huai River Planning Group was established and placed in
charge of reformulating river basin plans, organizing the construction of key projects,
producing flood-control regulations, and handling interprovincial conflicts.
4.4.1.3 1970s to 1988
The period from 1970 to 1988 was a time of recovering RBOs and their functions
in China. After re-emphasizing river basin management, the Huai River Harness
Commission was restored by the Office of the State Council Huai River Planning
Group in 1977 and renamed as the Huai River Water Resources Commission in 1989.
The Hai River Water Resources Commission and the Pearl River Water Resources
Commission were established in 1979, and the Songliao (Songhua–Liao River) River
Basin Water Resources Commission was created in 1981. In 1983, the Yangtze
River Water Resources Commission was restored. In 1984, the Taihu Lake Basin
Bureau was established in the Taihu Lake Basin in the lower reaches of the Yangtze
River. Thus, China’s seven major rivers have established river basin management
institutions, all of which are under the MWP.
Unlike RBOs in the 1950s, water resource agencies were set up in local governments at all levels in the 1960s and had adequate technical capacity. As such, restored
and new RBOs in this period did not implement the highly centralized river basin
management model of the 1950s and mainly engaged in the following tasks: (1)
revising and supplementing river basin comprehensive plans; (2) preparing and
managing annual investment plans for river harnessing and development, organizing
and approving design of key water projects in river basins, and being responsible for
construction and management of interprovincial and river basin control projects; (3)
managing river basin flood-control and interprovincial water resource allocation; (4)
101
Commission, which was responsible for water and soil conservation and development
of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, was removed.
Along with the demolition of the RBOs and the weakening of management functions, challenges such as river basin plan implementation and serious interprovincial water conflicts arose, especially frequent interprovincial drainage and water use
disputes in the Yellow–Huai–Hai River Basin Plain in the 1960s. At the same time,
the survey and design institutes under MWR could not function well in river basin
management. Therefore, the central government re-examined river basin management. In 1962, management of the river course in the downstream of the Yellow
River, which was higher than the land surface around the river, was returned to the
Yellow River Commission. In 1963, the Jindi River Engineering Management Bureau
was established as part of the Yellow River Commission to deal with severe interprovincial water conflicts. In 1964, the Zhangweinan Canal Management Bureau
was set up under direct management from MWP before being transferred to the Hai
River Basin Water Resources Commission in 1979. In response to the problems of
the Huai River, the State Council established the State Council Huai River Planning
Group in 1969, chaired by members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee
of the CPC, leaders from MWR, and the governors of relevant provinces. In 1971, the
Office of the State Council Huai River Planning Group was established and placed in
charge of reformulating river basin plans, organizing the construction of key projects,
producing flood-control regulations, and handling interprovincial conflicts.
4.4.1.3 1970s to 1988
The period from 1970 to 1988 was a time of recovering RBOs and their functions
in China. After re-emphasizing river basin management, the Huai River Harness
Commission was restored by the Office of the State Council Huai River Planning
Group in 1977 and renamed as the Huai River Water Resources Commission in 1989.
The Hai River Water Resources Commission and the Pearl River Water Resources
Commission were established in 1979, and the Songliao (Songhua–Liao River) River
Basin Water Resources Commission was created in 1981. In 1983, the Yangtze
River Water Resources Commission was restored. In 1984, the Taihu Lake Basin
Bureau was established in the Taihu Lake Basin in the lower reaches of the Yangtze
River. Thus, China’s seven major rivers have established river basin management
institutions, all of which are under the MWP.
Unlike RBOs in the 1950s, water resource agencies were set up in local governments at all levels in the 1960s and had adequate technical capacity. As such, restored
and new RBOs in this period did not implement the highly centralized river basin
management model of the 1950s and mainly engaged in the following tasks: (1)
revising and supplementing river basin comprehensive plans; (2) preparing and
managing annual investment plans for river harnessing and development, organizing
and approving design of key water projects in river basins, and being responsible for
construction and management of interprovincial and river basin control projects; (3)
managing river basin flood-control and interprovincial water resource allocation; (4)