Chapter 12
The Strictest Water Resources
Management Strategy and Its Three Red
Lines
Abstract This chapter discusses the strictest water resources management strategy,
the most important water resources management strategy developed in the water
sector in China. The developing background, strategic framework, key tasks (three
redlines), and implementation of the strategy are analyzed. The strictest water
resources management strategy arose from critical water resources circumstances, a
serious water resources problem around 2008 and weak water resources management.
The strategy has aimed to develop a modern water resources management system by
implementing three redlines of water resources management. The water resources
development redline is to implement total water-use volume control; the water-use
efficiency redline is to control water waste, and the water function zone pollutant
assimilation redline is to control pollutants into water bodies. After development of
the strategy, a series of policy documents was issued to support the implementation,
and four annual assessments have been conducted. However, some concerns remain,
such as the assessment of the water resources manager, rather than of management.
Keywords The strictest water resources management strategy · Three redlines of
water resources management · Water resources development redline · Water-use
efficiency redline · Water function zone pollutant assimilation redline
The “strictest water resources management strategy” is a policy developed in 2009
to address water issues in China. After it was drawn up, a 10-year implementation
was enacted. This chapter examines the development background, framework, key
tasks, and implementation of the strategy.
The chapter is based on Shen et al. (2015) China’s water resources management challenge: the
‘three red lines’. GWP technical focus paper.
© 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_12
253
The Strictest Water Resources
Management Strategy and Its Three Red
Lines
Abstract This chapter discusses the strictest water resources management strategy,
the most important water resources management strategy developed in the water
sector in China. The developing background, strategic framework, key tasks (three
redlines), and implementation of the strategy are analyzed. The strictest water
resources management strategy arose from critical water resources circumstances, a
serious water resources problem around 2008 and weak water resources management.
The strategy has aimed to develop a modern water resources management system by
implementing three redlines of water resources management. The water resources
development redline is to implement total water-use volume control; the water-use
efficiency redline is to control water waste, and the water function zone pollutant
assimilation redline is to control pollutants into water bodies. After development of
the strategy, a series of policy documents was issued to support the implementation,
and four annual assessments have been conducted. However, some concerns remain,
such as the assessment of the water resources manager, rather than of management.
Keywords The strictest water resources management strategy · Three redlines of
water resources management · Water resources development redline · Water-use
efficiency redline · Water function zone pollutant assimilation redline
The “strictest water resources management strategy” is a policy developed in 2009
to address water issues in China. After it was drawn up, a 10-year implementation
was enacted. This chapter examines the development background, framework, key
tasks, and implementation of the strategy.
The chapter is based on Shen et al. (2015) China’s water resources management challenge: the
‘three red lines’. GWP technical focus paper.
© 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_12
253