4.4 RBO in China: Institutional Setting
107
the 1950s, including research institutes, design institutes, hydrological bureaus, and
so on. Some commissions also have enterprises and engineering companies, such
as the Yellow. Following the recent reform, most of these companies are treated as
independent entities, but their supporting roles to the commissions remain as before.
In the river basin management organizations, particular attention is given to the
river basin water resources protection bureau as it is responsible for water resource
protection, water pollution prevention, and control of the river basins. The bureau
has experienced several changes and underwent reform in 2019.
The river basin water resources protection bureau was set up in the mid-1970s by
the State Council Environmental Protection Leading Group and MWP (including
the Yangtze River Water Resources Protection Bureau in January 1976 and the
Yellow River Water Source Office in 1975). In 1983, the Ministry of Urban and
Rural Construction and Environmental Protection and MWP jointly issued a document to implement dual leadership of the bureau. In 1984, the bureau was renamed
as river basin water resources protection bureau of the Ministry of Urban and Rural
Construction and Environmental Protection and MWP; and that of MWR and SEPA
in 1991 (after setting up of SEPA in 1988). During the 2018 governmental restructuring, the river basin bureau was renamed the river basin eco-environmental supervision and management bureau and made a residential mission of MEE for seven
major river basins. The bureau is mainly responsible for supervision of river basin
eco-environmental activities, management, and administration. More importantly,
the bureau is jointly led by MEE and MWR, though MEE plays the main role.
2
In July 2019, seven river basin (marine area) eco-environmental supervision and
management bureaus were reorganized, including those for the Yangtze River Basin,
Yellow River Basin, Huai River Basin, Hai River Basin and North China Sea, Pearl
River Basin and South China Sea, Songliao River Basin, and Taihu Lake and East
China Sea. The key functions of the bureaus include organizing to compile river
basin eco-environmental protection plans and water functioning zones; participating
to compile ecological protection compensation plans; determining river basin pollutant assimilation capacity and pollutant discharge volume limit; and conducting river
basin eco-environmental law enforcement, including mediating major water pollution conflicts, dealing with major emergent water pollution cases, and so on. Additionally, bureaus with marine functions are in charge of organizing to formulate
marine eco-environmental protection plans, standards, marine pollutant discharge
volume limits, and supervising pollutant discharge to the sea.
3
Therefore, the 2018 reforms of river basin water resource management aim to
solve the problems of cross-functions, multi-department management, and scattered
river basin and marine eco-environmental management and supervision.
All of these paint a portrait of RBOs in China. By examining the general scope of
their authority and the complexity of the multiple jurisdictions, it becomes clear that
the commissions are predominantly planning and coordinating bodies with limited
management and operational powers.
2 https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2018-09/11/content_5320982.htm.
3 https://www.sohu.com/a/330004480_120218768.
107
the 1950s, including research institutes, design institutes, hydrological bureaus, and
so on. Some commissions also have enterprises and engineering companies, such
as the Yellow. Following the recent reform, most of these companies are treated as
independent entities, but their supporting roles to the commissions remain as before.
In the river basin management organizations, particular attention is given to the
river basin water resources protection bureau as it is responsible for water resource
protection, water pollution prevention, and control of the river basins. The bureau
has experienced several changes and underwent reform in 2019.
The river basin water resources protection bureau was set up in the mid-1970s by
the State Council Environmental Protection Leading Group and MWP (including
the Yangtze River Water Resources Protection Bureau in January 1976 and the
Yellow River Water Source Office in 1975). In 1983, the Ministry of Urban and
Rural Construction and Environmental Protection and MWP jointly issued a document to implement dual leadership of the bureau. In 1984, the bureau was renamed
as river basin water resources protection bureau of the Ministry of Urban and Rural
Construction and Environmental Protection and MWP; and that of MWR and SEPA
in 1991 (after setting up of SEPA in 1988). During the 2018 governmental restructuring, the river basin bureau was renamed the river basin eco-environmental supervision and management bureau and made a residential mission of MEE for seven
major river basins. The bureau is mainly responsible for supervision of river basin
eco-environmental activities, management, and administration. More importantly,
the bureau is jointly led by MEE and MWR, though MEE plays the main role.
2
In July 2019, seven river basin (marine area) eco-environmental supervision and
management bureaus were reorganized, including those for the Yangtze River Basin,
Yellow River Basin, Huai River Basin, Hai River Basin and North China Sea, Pearl
River Basin and South China Sea, Songliao River Basin, and Taihu Lake and East
China Sea. The key functions of the bureaus include organizing to compile river
basin eco-environmental protection plans and water functioning zones; participating
to compile ecological protection compensation plans; determining river basin pollutant assimilation capacity and pollutant discharge volume limit; and conducting river
basin eco-environmental law enforcement, including mediating major water pollution conflicts, dealing with major emergent water pollution cases, and so on. Additionally, bureaus with marine functions are in charge of organizing to formulate
marine eco-environmental protection plans, standards, marine pollutant discharge
volume limits, and supervising pollutant discharge to the sea.
3
Therefore, the 2018 reforms of river basin water resource management aim to
solve the problems of cross-functions, multi-department management, and scattered
river basin and marine eco-environmental management and supervision.
All of these paint a portrait of RBOs in China. By examining the general scope of
their authority and the complexity of the multiple jurisdictions, it becomes clear that
the commissions are predominantly planning and coordinating bodies with limited
management and operational powers.
2 https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2018-09/11/content_5320982.htm.
3 https://www.sohu.com/a/330004480_120218768.