Chapter 9
Water Quality Management
Abstract This chapter analyzes water quality management in China, including the
legal framework, institutional design, key management instruments and problems,
and suggestions for improvement. In China, increasing numbers of critical water
quality problems have been exposed in recent years. In order to deal with water quality
management, China has developed a separate, sectoral management system, where
instruments including standards, function zones, permits, and charges are extensively
applied. However, this arrangement has resulted in a range of problems, including
an unintegrated framework, overlapping functions, focus on pollution control, poor
implementation, and inadequate capacity. Solving these problems and improving
water quality will be a laborious process for China. However, China can start by
fully implementing and reforming the current system, restructuring water quality
management institutions, managing its water resources within a river basin context,
and encouraging market-based approaches. This would help the country improve not
only in terms of its environment but also in terms of its development.
Keywords Water quality management · Legal framework · Sectoral approach ·
Overlapping function
China is facing critical water pollution and water quality issues. Rapid social
and economic development over the last 40 years, accompanied by the increasing
discharge of pollutants into its water bodies, has resulted in water quality becoming a
serious issue in the country. Irrespective of the increasingly degrading water quality,
China’s water quality management system is still scattered in terms of legislation,
institutions, and management tools.
There were 76.5 billion tons of wastewater discharge in 2016 (MWR 2017).
According to the 1,940 national surface water monitoring stations, surface water
classified as having Class I–III, Class IV–V, and over Class V accounted for 67.9%,
23.8%, and 8.3% of total surface water, respectively (Table 9.1). The classification of
surface water quality is based on “The Environmental Quality Standard for Surface
The chapter is based on Shen D (2012) Water quality management in China. International journal
of water resources development, 28(2): 281-297, DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2012.669079.
© 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_9
199
Water Quality Management
Abstract This chapter analyzes water quality management in China, including the
legal framework, institutional design, key management instruments and problems,
and suggestions for improvement. In China, increasing numbers of critical water
quality problems have been exposed in recent years. In order to deal with water quality
management, China has developed a separate, sectoral management system, where
instruments including standards, function zones, permits, and charges are extensively
applied. However, this arrangement has resulted in a range of problems, including
an unintegrated framework, overlapping functions, focus on pollution control, poor
implementation, and inadequate capacity. Solving these problems and improving
water quality will be a laborious process for China. However, China can start by
fully implementing and reforming the current system, restructuring water quality
management institutions, managing its water resources within a river basin context,
and encouraging market-based approaches. This would help the country improve not
only in terms of its environment but also in terms of its development.
Keywords Water quality management · Legal framework · Sectoral approach ·
Overlapping function
China is facing critical water pollution and water quality issues. Rapid social
and economic development over the last 40 years, accompanied by the increasing
discharge of pollutants into its water bodies, has resulted in water quality becoming a
serious issue in the country. Irrespective of the increasingly degrading water quality,
China’s water quality management system is still scattered in terms of legislation,
institutions, and management tools.
There were 76.5 billion tons of wastewater discharge in 2016 (MWR 2017).
According to the 1,940 national surface water monitoring stations, surface water
classified as having Class I–III, Class IV–V, and over Class V accounted for 67.9%,
23.8%, and 8.3% of total surface water, respectively (Table 9.1). The classification of
surface water quality is based on “The Environmental Quality Standard for Surface
The chapter is based on Shen D (2012) Water quality management in China. International journal
of water resources development, 28(2): 281-297, DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2012.669079.
© 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_9
199