4.5 Experiences from River Basin Management in China
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most river basins in the world. There is a large gap in social and economic development between the mountainous areas and the plains, the upper and lower reaches
and the left and right banks of the river basins. A river basin often spans several
administrative regions, with a large land area and a large population. It is difficult for
an RBO to manage each project in each region (even without consideration of the
management costs). (4) Water resource development and utilization varies among
river basins, as do management and the problems faced.
Given these factors, the river basin management model with Chinese characteristics based on planning and coordination centers upon river basin management as
an important factor in promoting the integrated development and management of
China’s water resources. The RBOs have become an important institution linking
jurisdictional management and river basin management. Experiences in the development of river basin managements in China can be divided into the following
aspects:
(1) Comprehensive planning as the central task of river basin management. Since
the 1950s, RBOs have completed comprehensive river basin plans for seven
major river basins in China and have revised and supplemented these several
times in the 1970s and 1980s. In accordance with the Water Law, the State
Council has successively approved comprehensive plans as the basis for the
development and utilization of water resources and prevention of water disasters.
These plans, which define the tasks, relationships, and measures as well as
the layout, scale, main parameters, and basic operation modes of the major
comprehensive utilization projects, have become the basis for the national and
regional departments to formulate water resource construction plans, feasibility
studies, and designs of key water projects. Likewise, these plans outline river
basin management regarding flood regulation, water resource allocation, and
interprovincial water disputes handling.
(2) Flood control and disaster mitigation as the focus of river basin management.
Due to the monsoon climate, floods are the most severe natural disasters in China
and are concentrated in the seven major river basins. The legislation stipulates
that water resource development and use must obey the overall arrangement
of the river basin flood-control plan. The RBO is responsible for formulating
the river basin flood-control plan and flood regulation plan, reviewing water
resource development and carrying out projects for flood-control management.
At the same time, the river basin flood-control headquarters and its office are
set up within the RBO.
(3) RBOs are responsible for the formulation and implementation of river basin
water resource allocation after approval of allocation and regulation plans and
supervising provincial water abstraction.
(4) Managing the state’s water investment plan (mainly limited to flood control,
irrigation, and drainage projects within the scope of the MWR). The RBO
reviews the design plan and investment scale of the proposed project according
to the river basin plan, and it provides investment subsidies depending on the
project. At the same time, for those projects involving interprovincial interests,
109
most river basins in the world. There is a large gap in social and economic development between the mountainous areas and the plains, the upper and lower reaches
and the left and right banks of the river basins. A river basin often spans several
administrative regions, with a large land area and a large population. It is difficult for
an RBO to manage each project in each region (even without consideration of the
management costs). (4) Water resource development and utilization varies among
river basins, as do management and the problems faced.
Given these factors, the river basin management model with Chinese characteristics based on planning and coordination centers upon river basin management as
an important factor in promoting the integrated development and management of
China’s water resources. The RBOs have become an important institution linking
jurisdictional management and river basin management. Experiences in the development of river basin managements in China can be divided into the following
aspects:
(1) Comprehensive planning as the central task of river basin management. Since
the 1950s, RBOs have completed comprehensive river basin plans for seven
major river basins in China and have revised and supplemented these several
times in the 1970s and 1980s. In accordance with the Water Law, the State
Council has successively approved comprehensive plans as the basis for the
development and utilization of water resources and prevention of water disasters.
These plans, which define the tasks, relationships, and measures as well as
the layout, scale, main parameters, and basic operation modes of the major
comprehensive utilization projects, have become the basis for the national and
regional departments to formulate water resource construction plans, feasibility
studies, and designs of key water projects. Likewise, these plans outline river
basin management regarding flood regulation, water resource allocation, and
interprovincial water disputes handling.
(2) Flood control and disaster mitigation as the focus of river basin management.
Due to the monsoon climate, floods are the most severe natural disasters in China
and are concentrated in the seven major river basins. The legislation stipulates
that water resource development and use must obey the overall arrangement
of the river basin flood-control plan. The RBO is responsible for formulating
the river basin flood-control plan and flood regulation plan, reviewing water
resource development and carrying out projects for flood-control management.
At the same time, the river basin flood-control headquarters and its office are
set up within the RBO.
(3) RBOs are responsible for the formulation and implementation of river basin
water resource allocation after approval of allocation and regulation plans and
supervising provincial water abstraction.
(4) Managing the state’s water investment plan (mainly limited to flood control,
irrigation, and drainage projects within the scope of the MWR). The RBO
reviews the design plan and investment scale of the proposed project according
to the river basin plan, and it provides investment subsidies depending on the
project. At the same time, for those projects involving interprovincial interests,