5.1 Water Resource Allocation in China
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– The reserved amount of water resources and the corresponding river sections,
reservoirs, lakes, and groundwater exploitation areas.
– The boundary section flow, runoff, lake water level, water quality for crossboundary rivers or lakes, and control indicators including groundwater level
and water quality for cross-boundary aquifers.
Together, these plans provide a comprehensive basis for allocating water across
the river basin and regions, with water resource allocation plans applied under normal
circumstances and drought contingency plans during droughts. The details of the way
water resource allocation plans define entitlements to water vary significantly across
China.
Since 1980s, China has launched a river basin water resource allocation plan.
Specifically, the Yellow River Water Resources Allocation Plan was approved by the
State Council in 1987, followed by plans for the Hei River in 1997, the Tarim River
in 2003, the Shiyang River in 2005, the Yongding River in 2007, and the Daling
River in 2009. In water-plentiful regions, the Jinjiang River was approved for the
allocation plan during the 1996 dry season. Jiangxi Province completed allocation
plans for five major rivers in 2008. In 2018, MWR approved a river basin water
resource allocation plan for eleven trans-province rivers.
1 By July 2018, 59 rivers
were involved in trans-province water resource allocation plans, and 33 rivers had
been approved.
2 In October 2019, 41 rivers had been approved.
3 These water resource
allocation plans include the Huai River and the Tai Lake, the plans of which were
approved jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission and MWR
in July 2017
4 and May 2018,
5 respectively.
The Huai River Water Resources Allocation Plan
The Huai River flows through the Hubei, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu Provinces.
The total length of the main stream is 1,000 km; the catchment area is about
190,000 km
2 ; and the average annual water resources are 58.35 billion m
3 , of
which surface water resources are 45.24 billion m
3 . The river basin faces water
shortages, uneven temporal and spatial distribution, and frequent water disasters. Given the rapid socio-economic development of the area, water use has
increased substantially, and the disparity between water supply and demand is
prominent, with groundwater severely over-exploited in certain areas. In order
to rationally allocate water resources, maintain a healthy ecological environment, promote sustainable use of water resources, and guarantee the sustainable economic and social development of the basin, this plan is formulated in
accordance with the Water Law of the People’s Republic of China.
1 https://www.mwr.gov.cn/xw/slyw/201801/t20180129_1021125.html.
2 https://www.chinanews.com/gn/2018/07-09/8560748.shtml.
3 https://szy.mwr.gov.cn/gzdt/yw/201910/t20191012_1365056.html.
4 www.gov.cn/xinwen/2017-06/27/.../files/a999a98d1bae4bd390dc94fe82a95dfc.doc.
5 https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/zcfb/zcfbtz/201805/t20180518_886625.html.
117
– The reserved amount of water resources and the corresponding river sections,
reservoirs, lakes, and groundwater exploitation areas.
– The boundary section flow, runoff, lake water level, water quality for crossboundary rivers or lakes, and control indicators including groundwater level
and water quality for cross-boundary aquifers.
Together, these plans provide a comprehensive basis for allocating water across
the river basin and regions, with water resource allocation plans applied under normal
circumstances and drought contingency plans during droughts. The details of the way
water resource allocation plans define entitlements to water vary significantly across
China.
Since 1980s, China has launched a river basin water resource allocation plan.
Specifically, the Yellow River Water Resources Allocation Plan was approved by the
State Council in 1987, followed by plans for the Hei River in 1997, the Tarim River
in 2003, the Shiyang River in 2005, the Yongding River in 2007, and the Daling
River in 2009. In water-plentiful regions, the Jinjiang River was approved for the
allocation plan during the 1996 dry season. Jiangxi Province completed allocation
plans for five major rivers in 2008. In 2018, MWR approved a river basin water
resource allocation plan for eleven trans-province rivers.
1 By July 2018, 59 rivers
were involved in trans-province water resource allocation plans, and 33 rivers had
been approved.
2 In October 2019, 41 rivers had been approved.
3 These water resource
allocation plans include the Huai River and the Tai Lake, the plans of which were
approved jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission and MWR
in July 2017
4 and May 2018,
5 respectively.
The Huai River Water Resources Allocation Plan
The Huai River flows through the Hubei, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu Provinces.
The total length of the main stream is 1,000 km; the catchment area is about
190,000 km
2 ; and the average annual water resources are 58.35 billion m
3 , of
which surface water resources are 45.24 billion m
3 . The river basin faces water
shortages, uneven temporal and spatial distribution, and frequent water disasters. Given the rapid socio-economic development of the area, water use has
increased substantially, and the disparity between water supply and demand is
prominent, with groundwater severely over-exploited in certain areas. In order
to rationally allocate water resources, maintain a healthy ecological environment, promote sustainable use of water resources, and guarantee the sustainable economic and social development of the basin, this plan is formulated in
accordance with the Water Law of the People’s Republic of China.
1 https://www.mwr.gov.cn/xw/slyw/201801/t20180129_1021125.html.
2 https://www.chinanews.com/gn/2018/07-09/8560748.shtml.
3 https://szy.mwr.gov.cn/gzdt/yw/201910/t20191012_1365056.html.
4 www.gov.cn/xinwen/2017-06/27/.../files/a999a98d1bae4bd390dc94fe82a95dfc.doc.
5 https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/zcfb/zcfbtz/201805/t20180518_886625.html.