Chapter 5
Water Resources Allocation
and Regulation
Abstract This chapter analyzes the water resources allocation and regulation framework and implementation progress in China. Based on China’s administrative
management system and river basin management arrangements, water resource allocation and regulation in China can be divided into three aspects: spatially, water
resources allocation and regulation includes the river basin, province, prefecture,
county, permit, and individual user levels; temporally, it consists of the annual
average and annual/seasonal frameworks; and in terms of definition, it is managed
according to abstraction, consumption, and use. In contrast with other countries,
China assumes a complicated system for water control due to its vast land area,
diverse water resource circumstances, and centralized administrative system. The
complex nature of China’s system demands rigorous management techniques and
structures. Under this framework, water trades are explored by applying several
market mechanisms.
Keywords Water resources allocation · Water resources regulation ·
Annual/seasonal framework · River basin and regional framework · Water
abstraction · consumption and use
Water resource allocation and regulation are decision-making processes involving
the redistribution of water resources in relation to time (when water can be taken),
location (where it can be taken from), purpose (what it can be used for), and user
(who can take it). Thus, water resources can generally be considered and defined in
terms of time, location, quantity, quality, and reliability. The natural spatial–temporal
distribution of water resources can be regarded as the first “allocation” of the resource;
however, when this natural allocation fails to meet the needs of all water users —in
The chapter is based on Shen D. (2007) Theory and application of water resources allocation.
China Water and Power Publisher: Beijing; Shen D. (2009) Water resources allocation in People’s
Republic of China. International journal of water resources development, 25(2): 209–225; Martin
C. and Shen D. (2009) Urban water management in China. International journal of water resources
development, 25(2): 249–268; Shen et al. (2020) Water use control system in China. International
journal of water resources development, 36(4): 590–609.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_5
113
Water Resources Allocation
and Regulation
Abstract This chapter analyzes the water resources allocation and regulation framework and implementation progress in China. Based on China’s administrative
management system and river basin management arrangements, water resource allocation and regulation in China can be divided into three aspects: spatially, water
resources allocation and regulation includes the river basin, province, prefecture,
county, permit, and individual user levels; temporally, it consists of the annual
average and annual/seasonal frameworks; and in terms of definition, it is managed
according to abstraction, consumption, and use. In contrast with other countries,
China assumes a complicated system for water control due to its vast land area,
diverse water resource circumstances, and centralized administrative system. The
complex nature of China’s system demands rigorous management techniques and
structures. Under this framework, water trades are explored by applying several
market mechanisms.
Keywords Water resources allocation · Water resources regulation ·
Annual/seasonal framework · River basin and regional framework · Water
abstraction · consumption and use
Water resource allocation and regulation are decision-making processes involving
the redistribution of water resources in relation to time (when water can be taken),
location (where it can be taken from), purpose (what it can be used for), and user
(who can take it). Thus, water resources can generally be considered and defined in
terms of time, location, quantity, quality, and reliability. The natural spatial–temporal
distribution of water resources can be regarded as the first “allocation” of the resource;
however, when this natural allocation fails to meet the needs of all water users —in
The chapter is based on Shen D. (2007) Theory and application of water resources allocation.
China Water and Power Publisher: Beijing; Shen D. (2009) Water resources allocation in People’s
Republic of China. International journal of water resources development, 25(2): 209–225; Martin
C. and Shen D. (2009) Urban water management in China. International journal of water resources
development, 25(2): 249–268; Shen et al. (2020) Water use control system in China. International
journal of water resources development, 36(4): 590–609.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_5
113