124
5 Water Resources Allocation and Regulation
and Drainage Engineering” requires that the rotational water use plans for irrigation districts be formulated yearly, while a canal water use plan and a “grassroots”
or field-level water use plan must be formulated quarterly (or according to cropgrowing periods). Rotational water use plans are developed according to the specific
situation, for example, in relation to soil moisture, crop type, or weather conditions.
Within urban water supply systems, because of the requirements for high reliability and security, the annual water abstraction plan for an abstraction permit will
normally set an annual volume that equals the volume specified in the permit. This
allows the supply company to fully meet the urban water requirements in a normal
year. During drought periods special contingency rules may apply that provide for
water rationing.
Figure 5.1 summarizes the water resources allocation and regulation framework
in China. It shows the top-down hierarchy in place, reflecting allocations made at the
river basin level, down through provinces and prefectures and ultimately allocations
at the user level. The left column reflects the long-term allocation of water resources,
while the right shows the mechanism for allocating and regulating actual water on
an annual or seasonal basis. The diagram thus shows both the spatial and temporal
aspects of water resource allocation.
In addition to the framework, various definitions for water volume—including
abstraction, consumption, and use—are used in water resources allocation for
different management purposes and regions in China. The abstraction volume is
applied at the abstraction level and for river basins/regions with abundant water
resources, such as those found in Southern China. Abstraction has a legal definition
in the permit system. In the river basins and regions with abundant water resources,
consumption will not have a significant impact on the other users, and the management focus is on the quality of the return flow, rather than its quantity. Consumption
Regional water resources allocation
plan (province, prefecture, county)
Water abstraction permit
Annual water abstraction plan
River basin water resources
allocation plan
Annual/seasonal irrigation
water use plan
Annual/seasonal water usage
Water resources allocation
Annual/seasonal water resources regulation
Regional annual water resources regulation
plan (province, prefecture, county)
River basin annual water resources
regulation plan
Water supply plan in urban
water supply company
Annual water supply plan
for water supply company
Water volume in the contract
Water supply and use
contract between company
and user
Water use association or
farmer water usage
Irrigation water use plan
Fig. 5.1 China’s water resources allocation and regulation framework Source Shen D and Sun X
(2010). Permission granted by Dajun Shen
5 Water Resources Allocation and Regulation
and Drainage Engineering” requires that the rotational water use plans for irrigation districts be formulated yearly, while a canal water use plan and a “grassroots”
or field-level water use plan must be formulated quarterly (or according to cropgrowing periods). Rotational water use plans are developed according to the specific
situation, for example, in relation to soil moisture, crop type, or weather conditions.
Within urban water supply systems, because of the requirements for high reliability and security, the annual water abstraction plan for an abstraction permit will
normally set an annual volume that equals the volume specified in the permit. This
allows the supply company to fully meet the urban water requirements in a normal
year. During drought periods special contingency rules may apply that provide for
water rationing.
Figure 5.1 summarizes the water resources allocation and regulation framework
in China. It shows the top-down hierarchy in place, reflecting allocations made at the
river basin level, down through provinces and prefectures and ultimately allocations
at the user level. The left column reflects the long-term allocation of water resources,
while the right shows the mechanism for allocating and regulating actual water on
an annual or seasonal basis. The diagram thus shows both the spatial and temporal
aspects of water resource allocation.
In addition to the framework, various definitions for water volume—including
abstraction, consumption, and use—are used in water resources allocation for
different management purposes and regions in China. The abstraction volume is
applied at the abstraction level and for river basins/regions with abundant water
resources, such as those found in Southern China. Abstraction has a legal definition
in the permit system. In the river basins and regions with abundant water resources,
consumption will not have a significant impact on the other users, and the management focus is on the quality of the return flow, rather than its quantity. Consumption
Regional water resources allocation
plan (province, prefecture, county)
Water abstraction permit
Annual water abstraction plan
River basin water resources
allocation plan
Annual/seasonal irrigation
water use plan
Annual/seasonal water usage
Water resources allocation
Annual/seasonal water resources regulation
Regional annual water resources regulation
plan (province, prefecture, county)
River basin annual water resources
regulation plan
Water supply plan in urban
water supply company
Annual water supply plan
for water supply company
Water volume in the contract
Water supply and use
contract between company
and user
Water use association or
farmer water usage
Irrigation water use plan
Fig. 5.1 China’s water resources allocation and regulation framework Source Shen D and Sun X
(2010). Permission granted by Dajun Shen