12.5 Conclusion and Outlook
271
limited development potential, low water efficiency, and severe environmental problems. As such, water resources management cannot follow the traditional concept
of increasing supply to meet demand. As a result, China must promote a transition
from supply management to demand management, incorporating concepts of demand
in its water resources plan such as allocation, saving, and protection. It also needs
to practice total volume control, curb irrational water demand, improve water-use
efficiency and effectiveness, as well as taking a connotative development path.
Shifting planning priorities from water resources development and use to water
resources saving and protection. Water resources planning is the fundamental and
legal basis for water resources development, use, saving, and protection, as well
as water disaster prevention. National policy prioritizes protecting ecosystems and
the environment and encouraging the sustainable use of water resources, as well as
comprehensively allocating domestic, productive, and ecological water use. As such
the comprehensive plan and master plan, river basin plan and regional plan must
make saving and protection of resources their first priority, following the principles
of “first saving water and then transferring water; first controlling pollution and
then supplying water; and first protecting the environment and then using water”.
These plans must also accord with regional water resources holding capacities and
water demand for socio-economic development, in order to form a new, modern, and
efficient water-use pattern.
Shifting protection measures from control to prevention. It is very costly to treat
water pollution and to restore degraded ecosystems after the fact. Instead, active and
effective protection measures should be adopted to improve the supervision system
for preventing water pollution and preventing ecological damage, and to strengthen
early warning and prevention and prevent problems before they occur.
Changing development patterns from over-development and disorderly development to reasonable development, and from waste to effective use. In water
resources development and use, the relationship between protection and development
must be properly handled, as well as among different interest groups. The comprehensive benefits of water resources should be fully achieved by overall planning,
extensive consultation, optimizing allocation, prudent decision-making, and rationally determining development goals. Issues arising from water resources development such as resettlement, land acquisition, and ecological environmental protection,
require more attention. The negative impact of water resources development on the
environment shall be reduced to a minimum.
Altering water-use patterns from waste to efficient use. The development of a
“water-saving society” should be vigorously promoted to establish water-saving
concepts, advocate a water-saving use model and develop a water-use pattern of
“water saving with priority, pollution control as core, and rational development”.
Social awareness of water saving should be enhanced with an emphasis on selfdiscipline. More effective measures should be taken to improve water efficiency
and effectiveness, transform water-use patterns, and promote the transformation of
economic development modes and upgrades of industrial structures.
271
limited development potential, low water efficiency, and severe environmental problems. As such, water resources management cannot follow the traditional concept
of increasing supply to meet demand. As a result, China must promote a transition
from supply management to demand management, incorporating concepts of demand
in its water resources plan such as allocation, saving, and protection. It also needs
to practice total volume control, curb irrational water demand, improve water-use
efficiency and effectiveness, as well as taking a connotative development path.
Shifting planning priorities from water resources development and use to water
resources saving and protection. Water resources planning is the fundamental and
legal basis for water resources development, use, saving, and protection, as well
as water disaster prevention. National policy prioritizes protecting ecosystems and
the environment and encouraging the sustainable use of water resources, as well as
comprehensively allocating domestic, productive, and ecological water use. As such
the comprehensive plan and master plan, river basin plan and regional plan must
make saving and protection of resources their first priority, following the principles
of “first saving water and then transferring water; first controlling pollution and
then supplying water; and first protecting the environment and then using water”.
These plans must also accord with regional water resources holding capacities and
water demand for socio-economic development, in order to form a new, modern, and
efficient water-use pattern.
Shifting protection measures from control to prevention. It is very costly to treat
water pollution and to restore degraded ecosystems after the fact. Instead, active and
effective protection measures should be adopted to improve the supervision system
for preventing water pollution and preventing ecological damage, and to strengthen
early warning and prevention and prevent problems before they occur.
Changing development patterns from over-development and disorderly development to reasonable development, and from waste to effective use. In water
resources development and use, the relationship between protection and development
must be properly handled, as well as among different interest groups. The comprehensive benefits of water resources should be fully achieved by overall planning,
extensive consultation, optimizing allocation, prudent decision-making, and rationally determining development goals. Issues arising from water resources development such as resettlement, land acquisition, and ecological environmental protection,
require more attention. The negative impact of water resources development on the
environment shall be reduced to a minimum.
Altering water-use patterns from waste to efficient use. The development of a
“water-saving society” should be vigorously promoted to establish water-saving
concepts, advocate a water-saving use model and develop a water-use pattern of
“water saving with priority, pollution control as core, and rational development”.
Social awareness of water saving should be enhanced with an emphasis on selfdiscipline. More effective measures should be taken to improve water efficiency
and effectiveness, transform water-use patterns, and promote the transformation of
economic development modes and upgrades of industrial structures.